Hastings & Bexhill 8 Charlton Park 10

WITH seven minutes of injury time played, and Hastings & Bexhill having led from the first quarter, the home side won a penalty in their own 22.
 
All they had to do was kick the ball to touch and they had won a famous victory, against all odds, against a side still in line for a promotion play-off place.

Instead someone picked up the ball and set off on a lone tap-and-go. A tackle, the ball held on the ground, a penalty against H&B, and a Charlton Park kicker who’d missed a couple of sitters held his nerve, made no mistake, the final whistle went. Disbelief. It was Scotland-Wales, and the men with the kilts around their ankles were the home side.  

Cruelly, what should have been the biggest celebration of the season, if only for an inspired first half performance that knocked a lot of the confidence out of the talented visitors, was suddenly a wake. Two hours earlier they would have been delighted with such a close result - now they were gutted.  

In fact they sabotaged victory way before the rash decision over a penalty. Leading 8-0 at half time, they continued to cause CP problems in the second half, until Jimmy Adams, who had his usual huge game, was carded for a a defensive transgression. CP upped their attack, and pressured H&B’s line for the full 10 minutes, only rugged defence and a few attacking errors and missed penalties keeping them off the scoreboard. Then Jason Holewell, who had been playing well, was carded for a late tackle, and the pressure finally told, CP breaching the home defence for a converted try.  

With 15 minutes to go, that’s how it stayed, with H&B soaking up most of the pressure but coping well, counter-attacking when they could, and holding a lead which CP looked unable to snatch from them, until that final, dreadful, misjudgment.  

It had all started so well. With new signing Tom Muskett having his first start at fullback, the backline looked dangerous and H&B came out clearly fired up and playing to a game plan. The pack were getting the breakdowns right, carrying powerfully, and bossing the set scrum with Tom Spatchurst anchoring them - only the lineouts, normally a banker for H&B, going awry.  

They were making good ground and feeding the backs, with the back three looking quick and threatening.  

The first setback came within 10 minutes, when Bruce Steadman, standing in for Piers Claughton at scrum half, had to come off with damaged ligaments, Paul Sandeman moving to half-back where he made some incisive breaks, and Nick Edmunds replacing him with distinction.  

A missed penalty kick for H&B 20 minutes in, was followed by a controlled drive down the left of the field, switched right, down the line for Murray Whittington to race in for a touchdown - injuring his ribs in the process. Ben Arnold was brought on from the adjacent Thirds match (he went on to play with power and courage), and the backline reshuffled, but it didn’t weaken H&B’s resolve or their shape.  

They continued to dominate possession and territory, containing CP’s counterattacks through the middle and via some good switch moves, with fairly good defensive organisation and some high quality individual tackling - Ben Lee saved a try at one stage.  

A period of pressure on CP’s line in the last 10 minutes of the half yielded a penalty, converted by Sandeman, The visitors missed the opportunity to get on the board just before the half time whistle, and though 8-0 was by no means a winning lead, neither side had expected to be in this position.  

The second half started as the first had, CP missing another chance to close the gap when a penalty kick bounced off the post, and H&B kept out the subsequent assault on their line.  

Neither side was dominant, though H&B always looked more likely to score, with Muskett in particular causing all sorts of problems for CP until he came off with a head injury, and Aidy Mahoney came on causing another major reshuffle.  

Then came the 20 minute period with 14 players, CP’s try, and that penalty.  

A missed opportunity? Yes, but H&B have shown they have more to them than to dwell on disappointment. They can and surely will use this much-improved performance and the one before it to lift them in the games they still have to win to salvage their season.  

H&B: Sheppard, Davies, Spatchurst, Adams, Holewell, Hitch, Sandeman, Piotrowski, Steadman (Edmunds), K Claughton, Whittington (Arnold), Lee, Diedericks, Campbell, Muskett (A Mahoney).