LONDON 3 SOUTH-WEST
12/04/08
LONDON CORNISH v PURLEY JOHN FISHER

London Cornish 3 - Purley John Fisher 14

A vastly improved alround performance by London Cornish, brimming with pride and commitment, was ultimately not enough to prevent Purley John Fisher from taking a giant stride towards a home play-off for promotion to London 2 South. The visitors scored a converted try in each half to a solitary penalty by the exiles, but the score masks the fact that this was one almighty tussle between two decent sides.

Cornish shuffled the pack following the previous league encounter, Mike Allewell returning at hooker and the huge former Newport and Wales u21 A international forward Joe Purcell making his full debut at 8. In the backs Keith Thompson switched fly half in place of the injured Dan Pollard, Henry Mitchell returning at 12 to allow Graham Dodge to move to 13. The bench saw returns for James Turnbull, Tom Jeffery and Matt Strover. It is extraordinary that the exiles have managed to maintain a competitive edge in all their sides this season labouring under an extensive 1s squad injury list that has hovered around the current 20 for much of the year, and it certainly augurs well for next season. At last able to play on the hallowed turf of the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, the game began in bright sunshine but with thick, black cloud and thunder and lightening closing in on all sides. Understandably, the visitors brought plenty of support but it was the exiles who shaded the early exchanges. With Thompson pinning the visitors in their own half with a couple of decent kicks, Cornish won a penalty on 4 minutes but the effort was pulled wide. The game was played at a real pace and no quarter was asked or given as both sides threw everything into their efforts at the breakdown. On a couple of occasions in the early period, Mitchell carried the ball well into PJF territory but the visitors defence held strong. Their fly-half seemed intent on kicking as much as possible but soon realised that when these land in the arms of the bang in form Cornish wing Mike Harvey, they were going to be returned with interest. Three times Harvey took his man on the outside, twice being pulled down by the cover on the visiting 22 and once narrowly failing to find supporting centre Dodge with a chip ahead. As with all decent sides, PJF struck with their first foray into the exiles half. They worked a series of phases up the right flank into the home 22, then switched the ball right to left where their centre broke through and offloaded to the overlapping wing to score half way in to the posts. Their kicker made no mistake with the extras, the wind blowing across the pitch toward the stream providing a helping hand. Any thoughts the PJF crowd had that the floodgates were about to open were soon dispelled as Cornish worked overtime at the breakdown, frequently turning PJF over. Allewell, Pete Drewett and Pete Calvert were particularly adept at this, often working off the back of the immense defensive effort of Skipper Rob Aird and Purcell. On 21 minutes wing Jim Strover cut a fine slice through the PJF rearguard to cross the 22 and be tackled yards from the line. As Cornish worked the ball right to left the last pass went behind the man and into touch for the danger to be cleared. 5 minutes later, and with PJF now back on the attack, Aird suffered knee injury that forced him from the field, Jeffery coming on in his place and Allewell taking on the Skippers mantle. On 23 minutes and with Cornish on the attack, the visiting wing intercepted a pass on his own 22 and took off upfield seemingly to score. He had not reckoned with the tenacity of Dodge, who hared after him, mowing him down in the shadow of the posts for the ball to be spilled forward and the chance lost. Gradually, the visitors gained an ascendancy at scrum-time, but Purcell frequently performed miracles to turn bad ball into go forward ball as he drove and twisted his way powerfully upfield. With scrum half Mike Dardis working overtime to get the ball away before he was clattered, the visitors became frustrated and a constant stream of invective was directed at the referee, most of it by one or two of the visiting supporters. On 26 minutes Cornish won another penalty for offside, Thompson stepping up to put his side on the board and reduce the arrears to 3-7. The visitors too were forced to make an early change, a back succumbing to an arm injury. As the battle intensified, so the tackles flew in harder and harder, Allewell twice choosing to lead with his head and being barrelled out of the way by his opposite number! The Cornish lineout now began to function better than it has done for a few weeks, though both sides were unable to utilise their rolling mauls to much effect since the two packs cancelled each other out. As half time approached, PJF had a period of sustained pressure at the scoreboard corner at the clubhouse end. Their support also gathered down there as the heavens opened up and heavy rain began lashing down. These conditions aid the defending side, and much to their frustration the visitors were repelled by a combination of knock-ons, turnovers and mispasses, Cornish full-back Adam McVicar finally able to clear his sides lines to leave the score at the break still 3-7.

With the wind suddenly dropping and the sun back out, the second half began with A PJF forward knocking on the restart. Cornish worked hard to make room for Harvey and Strover, but the visiting defence held firm. On a couple of occasions Cornish worked an overlap down the blind side but the wrong options were taken and the opportunities lost. Though the noise from the sidelines did not abate despite pleas from some of the visiting bench, the PJF players continued to find that what ball they won at the set pieces, they were unable to secure for long enough in the loose. The exiles were forced into a front row change on 53 minutes when prop Simon Wood went down with cramp in a hamstring, Turnbull coming on in his place. Purcell continued to mop up at the base of the rucks and scrums, ably supported by lock Thornton Williams and prop Ben Wheeler, who for once stayed off the wing for a game! More pressure from PJF saw them win and miss a very kickable penalty from in front of the posts on 63 minutes before they finally gained enough phases of possession to force an overlap, which their wing finished wide left to great jubiltation despite another excellent covering tackle by Dodge. This time their kicker produced an excellent conversion into the breeze to ease his side out to a 14-3 lead. Once more the visitors turned the screw, pinning Cornish into the same corner. They won a series of scrums and lineouts 5 metres from the exiles line, but try as they might they could not force Cornish back over their line, nor could they roll a maul over it. The staunch defending cost the exiles dear, Allewell taking one hit to the head too many to be replaced by Wood, whose cramp had cleared up for Wheeler to switch to hooker. Drewett too had to be replaced at this stage, Jim Strover moving into 7 and his brother Matt replacing him on the wing. Cornish again found the energy to attack down the left flank on 68 minutes, Matt Strover only being called back for a foot on the line after powering his way down the flank. Another swift counter saw Thompson weave his way through down the same flank and only white line fever from a Cornish back prevented what surely would have been a scoring pass from going to Matt Strover. Both sides lost players to the sin bin in the closing minutes for repeated offences as the breakdown contest remained hugely competitive. The pattern continued right up to the final whistle - Cornish would win decent territory but lose the set piece battle, PJF would counter, make ground but lose the battle of the breakdown. With no addition to the score, the final whistle went with the visitors having secured a vital 2 points with a 14-3 victory.

Some of the Purley committee rolled back the years by staying well into the night at The Telegraph, and they were a very welcome bunch too. It's a pity only 1 of their players could join them, especially as we are unlikely to see them again next season! We wish them well in their onward quest, three years the bridesmaids in the play-offs, they seem ready to win the accolade of brides! Cornish produced a performance of real substance here, a demonstration of what could be achieved next season. With new players such as Purcell joining the fray and making an immediate impact, it will be interesting to see how they and the returning injured players blend in during the summer. With the final league game of their first ever season at this level just down the road at good friends KCS Old Boys next week, the exiles will need another performance of this standard to finish the season with a W. The 2s game between the two clubs at the REMPF carries even greater significance, the Surrey Premier Reserve League title (and potential entry to the Canterbury Leagues) riding on it. It could not have been planned better!

LCRFC – Adam McVicar, Jim Strover, Graham Dodge , Henry Mitchell, Mike Harvey, Keith Thompson, Mike Dardis, Joe Purcell, Pete Drewett (Matt Strover), Rob Aird (Capt.)(Tom Jeffery), Thornton Williams, Pete Calvert, Ben Wheeler, Mike Allewell (James Turnbull), Simon Wood.


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