A faultless kicking display by fly-half Dan Harvey saw Medway overcome a spirited and competent Darfordians side in a game that certainly entertained the large home and travelling crowd.

Harvey slotted eight out of eight shots on goal and ultimately the quality of his place kicking, was the difference between the two teams. Darts are having a good season and sat in fourth place in the league before this game, and needed a win to maintain their push for promotion.

For the second game running, Medway made life difficult for themselves by giving their opponents an early two try head start. This time however, they were actually the dominant side but individual errors and fortunate bounces of the ball allowed Darts to score two breakaway tries against the run of play. Medway, although enjoying early possession and territorial dominance, were unable to breach the committed home defence and time after time, attacks eventually broke down through either a mistake or infringement.

Darts didn’t touch the ball for the first six minutes as Medway battered away but then two mistakes by the visitors saw the ball bounce straight into the hand of the Darts winger to break away and score from 50 metres. Medway hit back with a good long range penalty on 14 minutes but then committed suicide again with a loose pass that again fell kindly for a Darts flyer to race in from half way. 10 – 3 to Darts after 17 minutes.

Medway’s early dominance continued for the remainder of the first half but they were unable to breach the solid home defence. Two further penalties seemed scant reward for the quantity of possession they had enjoyed, but at least the Darts lead had been narrowed to a solitary point by the interval.

The balance of possession and territorial advantage seemed to shift in the favour of Dartfordians in the second half yet strangely Medway were still able to take the lead and win the game.

An early penalty after two minutes put Meds 12 – 10 up, but errors and good pressure from Darts allowed the home side to set up camp in the Medway 22. Having soaked up the pressure, a line out infringement gave the visitors the chance to clear their lines and a towering up and under from Harvey was chased well by Luke Burns. He fed Antony Clement who raced in for Medway’s first try, again, somewhat against the run of play, 19 -10 to Medway.

Medway held on to this lead until the final frenetic fifteen minutes of the game where the lead changed hands twice. Firstly, Darts broke away from a scrappy lineout and poor defence allowed them in for a seven pointer under the posts. Soon afterwards, Medway extended their lead with another penalty, 22 – 17 but then messed up the kick-off receipt and spent the next five minutes again desperately defending their line.

Excellent controlled play by the home side was eventually rewarded when a “Gregan” move allowed them to score under the posts and the conversion momentarily gave them a slender two point lead. Straight from the kick-off Darts infringed, and that man Harvey, knocked over the penalty to put Medway one point to the good. No such mistake from the next Darts restart as young Jordan Stubbington took a good catch, and then set off on a barn storming 50 metre run and set up a try for fellow second row, Max Easton.

To the relief of the visitors, the conversion put Medway two scores clear at 32 – 24 up. Lastly, in the final play of the game, Darts were awarded a penalty which they slotted to secure a losing bonus point to go with their four try bonus point.

Overall, an entertaining game that could easily have been won by either side but the quality of Harvey’s kicking was decisive.

Medway’s team

Petch, Sandison, O’Leary, Easton, Stubbington, Beaumont, Humphrey, Huntley, J Dance, Harvey, Burns, Clement, Walsh, Orris, Wardzynski, Subs; B Dance, Cooley (both used)