Hastings and Bexhill II 24 Ditchling 8

H&B 2nd's made their first league visit away to Ditchling, a small but exceptionally friendly club. Both teams lined up to welcome on the ditchling prop (Tank), playing in his 25th senior season.
 
Ditchling, newly promoted, were looking for a fast start utilising their large pack to good advantage, causing H&B to give up a penalty that was well converted by Ditchling. It looked like it was the start of a tough game for the young H&B team. However, from the restart, young Jake Stinson chased down the kick tackling the Ditchling scrum half on the try line who lost the ball straight into the arms of Joe Umpleby who duly scored the first try of the game.
 
The game was always keenly contested, but H&B again getting the ball to the wing with another fine solo try was scored by Stinson rounding his opposite number for a 60 metre run in. A final try was scored by Georgie Culliningford looking like the player of old,scoring a fine try from a midfield break.
 
All three tries were superbly converted by Ben Lee who excelled in his kicking game always pressurising the opposition and his performance was finely rounded off by a touchline penalty. H&B 24 - Ditchling 8.
Ditchling did come back with a strong try from their powerfull number 12, but eventually, the younger team head the strength to keep them out for the last 10 minutes.
 
Pete Mahoney, acting as stand-in captain for Dave Milham who was called up to the first team ,was extremely impressed by his "Young Guns" Jake Stinson, Joe Umpleby, Jon-Joe Dawes, Ryan Hopkins, Jamie Walsh, Ben Lee and Rob Brewster especially as he had coached them through from the under 12's. "They were outstanding" he said. "Stepping up to the men's game is no mean feat, especially for Ryan and Jon Joe in the coalface of the front  row"
 
2nd team Coach Gary Walsh was very pleased with the teams first performance, fitness was good and on the whole we kept to our game plan very well.  

Team:O'Connor, Hopkins, Dawes, Clifford, Shepard, Umpleby, Pearce, Mahoney, Finzel, Hollingworth, Stinson, Madigan, Hanny, Lee, Brewster, Cullingford, Walsh.