The 2013/14 league season got underway at Priestfields on Saturday with a tough match against our old adversaries Charlton Park, from South London.
After a long hot summer, the weather picked up where it left off last season and was wet, cold and miserable! Charlton have narrowly missed out on promotion in the last two seasons, losing the play-off match on both occasions and therefore Medway knew this was always going to be a tough opening.
Coaches Taff Gwilliam and Ginger Longstaff have been busy during the summer months doing a bit of a rebuilding job on the team as number of last season players have departed for one reason or another.
As for the game, there isn’t really a great deal to report on as both teams effectively cancelled each other out. Charlton deserved their narrow victory which was based upon a powerful performance from their pack, and they were dangerous on the counter attack using their speedy back three to good effect.
Medway got on the score board right from the kick-off with a well struck penalty from Ollie Best. The rest of the first half was an evenly contested affair with Medway probably shading the first twenty and then Charlton the second.
Charlton did miss a couple of penalties and probably also waste a good try scoring opportunity when the wrong option was taken. On the stroke of half time Medway played with width and tried to run out of their half. The ball was lost in contact and Charlton countered brilliantly, keeping the ball alive and scoring a very well worked try under the posts. 7 – 3 to Charlton at the break.
The second half was not much different for the first, fairly even apart from the Charlton pack taking a firmer grip of the game, especially at scrum time. Try as they might, Medway could not establish the platform they needed to get back into the game. The only points scored during the second period were from a simple penalty for the visitors when Medway were penalised at the breakdown. Final score 10 – 3 to Charlton Park.
For a team in transition and rebuilding for the future, there were a number of positive to take from the game for Medway and they should not be too disappointed with the loss against a good team. The back row played well and new boys Beaumont and Huntley are very good new additions. Max Easton playing at 6 was man of the match for the home side and Best, Dance and Wadsworth all looked lively in the backs.
Next game is an away, in the League at Maidstone on the 21st September.