This game slipped away from Combe all too easily. The opening 20 minutes or so flowed back and forth and the chances came and went similarly. Both sides had missed penalties before Worthing scored the first try in the tenth minute with second-row James McGowan making the break and Stuart Pearman adding the points.
Two minutes later fly-half Luke Giles reduced the lead with a penalty but four minutes later missed another before adding the points to Gideon Roux’s try. While all this was going on Worthing had missed two more penalties—all of which shows just how open the first quarter was.
Westcombe Park’s try was a torrid affair with a lot of pressure from the forwards that seemed to go on for an age before Gideon got the touchdown and Combe led 10—7. This lead lasted until four minutes before half-time despite two appalling missed penalties that should have put Worthing on terms or even in the lead.
Combe seemed mentally to get in the dressing-room for the interval too early—and, as it happens, came out too late. The game swung out of control in six minutes.
Worthing had crossed the line but after consulting a touch-judge the referee took the players back to the other side of the pitch for a penalty awarded earlier but with Worthing in possession, just indicated. The try that resulted from prop Gareth Emmett seemed inevitable and suddenly Stuart Pearman found his kicking boots (and didn’t miss a thing from here on in), and apart from the conversion had time to add a penalty before Worthing went to the dressing-room with a 17—10 lead.
Disappointing but not disastrous. Any score would get Combe right back in the mix.
Two minutes after the second period started Worthing centre Greg Sullivan ghosted through Combe’s defence for a far too easy try and Stuart Pearman added the points and, a few minutes later, kicked the penalty that took Worthing into a 27—10 lead and now things looked quite different for the Combe camp.
There was still nearly half-an-hour left but Westcombe Park’s anxiety now really began to show and although they didn’t concede any more points they didn’t look like getting any themselves either as Worthing’s backs found speed and movement and Combe littered their game with mistakes with handling and line-outs being prominent.
Despite this, Combe hung on in there and it wasn’t until the final minute that back-row James Arthur crossed the line for Worthing’s bonus try.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Westcombe Park. On the adjacent pitch, kicking-off 40 minutes earlier The Tigers secured an impressive 50—16 win.
This week Westcombe Park play hosts at Goddington Dene, Orpington, to old local derby rivals Canterbury. (Kick-off 3p.m.)
Match Reporter: Mike Attewell