Medway travelled to a wet and windy Sussex on Saturday to take on the league’s bottom side Hove needing a win to maintain their challenge for the league title.

Medway were forced into some last minute changes but nonetheless still fielded a strong side.

The game kicked off and Hove pinned Medway back in their 22. Medway looked to exit but made too many errors allowing the home side to maintain the pressure and on 6 minutes Hove capitalised with a smart try out wide following good hands. The try was unconverted.

On 12 minutes Medway responded with an excellent move off a scrum which gave Alfie Orris the space to beat 2 cover defenders and score in the corner. Dan Harvey kicked an excellent conversion to put Medway in the lead 7-5.

From the re-start Medway once again made unforced errors and provided Hove with another scoring opportunity near their line. Hove were clinical in their execution with fine handling scored another unconverted try to regain the lead at 10-7.

Hove strengthened with a number of players returning from injury looked anything but the league’s basement club and were worthy leaders.

Medway needed to put their game together and despite a misfiring set piece were next to score. An initial break in the 21st minute from Sam Garofalo was supported by the forwards with good interplay from Lewis Stimpson, Amon Panikoula, Dan Huntley and on more than one occasion Tom Beaumont. This created space for Alfie Orris who showed his finishing skills to beat defenders and score in the corner. A quality conversion from Harvey once again saw Medway re-gain the lead 10-14.

With 27 minutes gone on the clock Medway scored again. Young Zach Garratt fielded a loose kick from Hove in his own half. He carried the ball back to his forwards. They and the backs combined well to go through a number of phases Tom Whitnell, Joe Fernyhough, Richard Petch and Alex O’ Leary all contributing to provide the platform for Harvey and Charlie Wardzynski to feed Zach Garratt, on his opposite wing, who in turn created the space for Orris to complete a fine hatrick of tries. Harvey covered and Medway had pushed their lead out to 21-10.

Medway were starting to look the sharper side now and that was epitomised in their next try.

Winning the ball in their own 22m Medway attacked from deep. Sam Garofalo and Alfie Orris both made telling contributions as the ball was taken into the home 22m. Good controlled quick ball phases beat the home side’s scramble defence for Antony Clement to round off a fine team try wide out on the right. The conversion was missed but Medway had sealed the try bonus point before half time.

The second half kicked off with Medway putting the ball deep into the home sides 22m. A couple of carries from their forwards then saw them try to clear their lines however the poor kick out was fielded by Garratt who made good ground to link with his forwards. The forwards then showed good handling skills with their interplay and crated the space for Harvey to crash over. He converted his own try and Medway were well ahead by 10-33.

In previous games at this point Hove would have been staring a large defeat in the face. But recent performances and renewed confidence with returning players have galvanised the side. Their coaches encouraging the team to play with freedom saw them not give in but step up with renewed vigour.

On 49 minutes Hove narrowed the gap when following period of sustained pressure they eventually scored out wide on the back of some poor Medway defence. The try was unconverted making the score 15-33.

Medway were making too many unforced errors and this was compounded when in the 54th minute Dan Huntley was sin binned for a breakdown offence.

Hove took advantage of their numerical superiority and scored a well taken try. Medway’s defence was found wanting and following good hands down their line Hove secured the try bonus point for the third consecutive match.

Medway were stung into action and pressed the Hove line well. They created a number of good scoring chances. Gary Beck was prominent in breaking the home defensive line but but these chances all went begging on the back of poor decisions or execution. In failing to put the game out of reach with these excellent opportunities it gave Hove further opportunity to narrow the gap.

On 67 minutes Hove did just that when they broke out from their 22 and moved the ball to their winger. He kicked ahead and won the footrace to score. With the conversion they managed to bring the score back to 29-33 and were

looking to win the game.

Medway soon after created another fine scoring chance but once again failed to finish it. Hove for their part threw everything into the last 10 minutes of the game to try and break out but Medway despite, conceding a number of late penalties, kept Hove pinned back in their own half to close the game out and secure victory.

Despite a number of late changes to the side Medway won the game but will look at their error count and know that they were fortunate to escape with the victory. Hove played with an ambition and freedom that belied their league position. Whilst they will not escape the inevitable drop recent performances have shown that they have the ability, spirit skill to bounce back.

Medway Coach Taff Gwilliam said ‘we are obviously happy to have secured a win with a bonus point but we need to seriously look at this performance as certain elements of it were simply not good enough and the players know it’. He added ‘We must congratulate the Hove side on a fine performance. They played without fear and were worthy of their try bonus point’.