Combe trip up at Tring

Perhaps their minds were on last week when scoring seemed so easy, or perhaps they were looking forward to next week for the final game of the long and hard season. Either way their cause was not helped by a serious injury to skipper Hamish Barton, nor a spell in the cooler for prop Reece Conlon at the break. But with no relegation or promotion issues at stake the game was only likely to be a keen confrontation rather than a full-on contest.

Conditions were good : dry and firm underfoot, a sideways slope to the clubhouse, and both sides had to master the cross wind. The hosts got off to a smart start, with out-half Tom Mellor slicing through for a try by the posts converted by full back Tom Newton. Combe in customary fashion were behind in the opening minutes. ( 0-7 ). Combe began to win ball with strikes against the head, but were unable to unpick a tight Tring rush defence. The hosts meanwhile were happy to counter attack or run out of trouble. Stalemate. Tring saw out the ten minutes they were a man short and on the half hour had a penalty to take them into the left corner. With Tring pounding Combe’s line it was scrum half Richard Beeney who claimed the try, also converted by Tom Newton. ( 0-14 ). Combe had plenty of ball but still could not break through. Hamish Barton went off injured, and Nick Pace had also departed earlier. Combe had to re-group. In an extended first half, Reece Conlon was sent to the bin, and Tring put over the penalty to go in at the break 0-17 up.

At the restart, again Tring scored early. Chris Lewis had charged down a Tring clearance kick, they fumbled close to their line but managed to break away on the counter started by Tom Newton, who put Zak Michalski clear away down the right touchline, to the corner, and in behind the posts. Try converted . At 0-24, the game was slipping away from Combe. A long booming kick by Iain Gordon from his 22 found the left corner, and from a scrum and second phase near the opposition line Tim Kavanagh was over to get Combe on the scoreboard, at last. The conversion was wide. Twenty minutes to go, but once more Tring caught Combe on the counter, and again it was winger Zak Michalski in at the corner. No conversion but Tring were now comfortably ahead , ( 5-29) and with a bonus point in the bag. Tring again were a man short for ten minutes, and Combe did their best to finish with a flourish. Michael Adeniya and Nikki Davies set up Tom Gray to score by the posts, and Iain Gordon converted, to take the score to 12-29. And with the final play of the game, Tom Gray made a big break carried on by Chris Lewis and Alex Smith, but the move finished short in the left corner. All a bit too late .

Next Saturday, 12th April, is Combe’s last league game of the season. Barnes are the visitors to Goddington Dene, and they are more than anxious to secure league points and avoid relegation. They have recent form to show, so Combe will have a game on their hands.

Westcombe Park XV : A. Smith; T. Gray, N. Davies, T. Nattrass, M. Adeniya; I. Gordon, R. Skilton; R. Conlon, H. Barton, J. Sheppard, D. Watkins, J. Wright, C. Lewis, N. Pace, D. Flashman.
Sub.s : T. Kavanagh, G. Purdy, J. Penny.

Match reporter : Bruce Mackenzie.