Westcombe Park’s Rotten Journey ends in Defeat

Westcombe Park’s coach and supporters were seriously delayed on their trip to Bristol on Saturday by a Motorway accident and the team had little time to prepare for a game that was always going to be hard.
Dings have always been a handful on their own pitch and though the season has barely begun they have scored more points and conceded less than any other side in National League Two (S).
In that light it is hardly surprising that with Combe still in their blocks Dings were seven pints to the good after only three minutes.
Combe were able to exert a fair amount of pressure for much of the first half but the lack of a cutting edge and the inevitable mistakes meant at the end they only had a solitary penalty to show for their efforts kicked by Gideon Roux.
Dings in contrast were able to exploit Combe’s mistakes scoring three tries and a penalty from fly-half Mitch Burton, who did not miss a kick all afternoon, and with the conversions contributed hugely to the 24—3 lead they enjoyed at half-time. Full-back Neil Dipple also contributed greatly with two of the three tries and back-row Steve Williams the other.
Combe’s inability to keep a grip on a game is shown up by the fact that half the points lead Dings took into the second-half came when their scrum-half was enjoying a ten minute break in the sin-bin.
Gideon Roux got Combe off to a good start in the second-half with another penalty but Dings continued to exploit weaknesses and slowly added another two tries, the conversions and a penalty.
Neil Dipple completed his hat-trick, and Pierre Tucker, one of two wingers, whose pace created havoc for most of the match, the other.
With the score 41—6 Combe suddenly came alive in the last ten or twelve minutes and with some straight running Gideon Roux scored two tries and a conversion to take his and Combe’s points to 18.

After three games Combe’s new squad are beginning to show some signs of gelling despite yet to earn a point of any sort and Saturday’s opponents at Goddington Dene, Orpington are Henley Hawks who have a Full House by contrast, so an interesting game to make comparisons! Best of Luck, Boys.

Match Reporter: Mike Attewell. (in absentia) and thanks to JWT (IPP) and Paul Cavalli (President).