28/11/09 V Crowborough WON 10 - 03
 
"Leaders sent packing by awesome seconds"

Hastings and Bexhill seconds defeated the then Sussex Division Two East leaders on Saturday.

Riding high after several very good performance over the past few weeks, the home team was again able to pick its strongest side and had a number of players returning to the team after injuries.

With a back line to rival the ones and the dominant pack driving the team forward confidence was high. Only a recurrence of a knee injury to Ben Petty in the warm up put a slight dampener on it, but the inclusion of Rob McManus to the bench soon raised the mood again.

The game got off to a flying start with the home team gaining much of the possession early on and Chris Stern, in his first start for the seconds on the wing, and after several fine runs scored in the corner. Dave Kemp-Milham added the conversion.

On the whole the game was played within the letter of the law, but at time it got over physical which resulted in Pete Mahoney receiving a yellow card 12 minutes before the end of the second half.

The second half started in much the same way and Andy Hitch also spent 10 minutes behind the posts, however it was the home team that added more points to the score sheet with a penalty kicked by Kemp-Milham.

Hitch received another yellow on his return for retaliating after claiming he had been stamped on, leaving the home team with 14 players for much of the second half.

Crowborough kicked a penalty, but then missed a simple kick at goal which would have brought them within four points. H&B gained control again and held their nerve until the final whistle.

"Defensively we were awesome again," said captain Kemp-Milham. "The pack have not taken a backward step for three weeks and going forward no-one seems to be able to live with them just now."

"This is going to give the backs time and space to exploit at will. It was good to see Stern going over the line and the man of the match effort of the returning Nick Locke a hooker epitomised the belief in the squad."

H&B: Northern, Locke, Dawes, P. Mahoney, Saunders, Hitch, Edmunds, A. Mahoney, Smith, Kemp-Milham, Stern, Dierdericks, Barber, Woolcutt, Brampton, Sewell, Nunn, McManus