RAIDERS PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

WIMBLEDON and Rochford keep winning, so while that is happening all Jordy Reynolds’ side can do is chalk up the victories themselves and attempt to throw a spanner in those two sets of well-oiled machines,.
This was victory number eight in nine, a fine return that the coaching team would probably have settled for back in late summer when they were building a squad to win promotion and return to the National Leagues.
The fixture schedule has not been kind to the Guernsey club in the opening weeks, but apart from the Rochford hiccup the squad have been chalking up the wins against some testing and tricky opposition and Tring certainly fall into that category.

The victory was not assured until the final 15 minutes when Raiders were awarded a penalty try and then Tom Ceillam barged over for the bonus point and Matt Armstrong produced the icing on the cake, breaking 75 metres to score a fine try his brother would have been proud of.
Raiders were under the cosh in the first 15 but once they got close to the Tring line they made the pressure tell and Naki Veamatahau darted in from close range to score.
It was far from an easy conversion for Owen Thomas but he hit the kick perfectly and it sailed over from distance.
Thomas might have been able to add to the lead had the home side chosen to kick any of several penalties awarded by the impressive Army referee Toby Rowe.
But Raiders always fancy themselves with the catch and drive attacks from close-range lineouts and that was an option they took again here.
Frustratingly, it did not pay off, as time and again Tring disrupted the lineout and held firm when the push came.
Thankfully, Naki Veamatahau added a second score to extend the lead to 12, the fleet-footed and powerful centre racing fully 40 metres to score.
Disappointingly and worryingly at the time, Tring scored a converted try just before the break and given the quality of kick from Jake Olley most in the Garenne Stand expected him to reduce the arrears even further when Tring were awarded a very kickable penalty in the first two minutes of the second half.
He missed but Tring were still gunning for victory until the late stages when those two vital scores came Raiders’ way.
The penalty try was no big surprise and skipper Lewis Hillier had been in Mr Rowe’s ear before he finally relented and handed Raiders seven crucial points.
Soon after Raiders’ tried and trusted catch and drive move finally paid dividends and in front of the Hockey Clubhouse, Ceillam was shoved day over with little challenge on this occasion from the depleted Tring pack.
Matt Armstrong’s late burst ensured a thrilling end for the big crowd.

What pleased Jordan Reynolds most?
‘The ability to get that bonus point at the end probably, because we were under pressure and you could say that at that stage you could see the game actually being lost.
‘They were hard on our line at one point, so it was good to see the composure from the boys and get that try.’
The head coach pepped up his pack with the second half introductions of Layton batiste and Cameron Craine, the latter not having been named in the initial 18,
‘I made a late change this morning, bringing in Cameron for Matty Thomas because of the weather.
‘We knew there would be a lot of scrums today.’
As for the title chase?
‘It keeps us in the hunt,’ said our coach.
‘There is a lot of work to do and we are a little bit disappointed with the way we played today, we know there are areas to improve, but there were some real good positives too.’
Meanwhile, at the very top, Wimbledon march on, their 27-16 win at Dorking being their ninth on the bounce and they remain six points ahead of Jordan Reynolds’ side who did not secure a bonus point until the final 10 minutes at Footes Lane.
Rochford also squeezed home but failed to secure a bonus.

TEAMS
Raiders: Steventon, Ceillam, Pinkney, Merrien, Webb, Hillier, Rice, Horrocks; O’Connor, Thomas, Amanaki Veamatahau, Asher Veamatahau, M. Armstrong, A. Armstrong, Andresen.
Replacements: Batiste, Craine, Sayer.
Tring: Jarman, Flanagan, White, Wilton, Green, Osmond, McCartney, Radley, Beeny, Criddle, Barnes, Olley, Goss-Lambourne, Doodson, Starling.
Replacements: Morgan, Nicholson-Potter, Jarvis.
Referee: T. Rowe.