Smith slots late penalty as Maidenhead defeat derby rivals Bracknell in thriller

Greg Smith slotted a last minute penalty kick to win the game for Maids. Photo: Paul Morgan

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Maidenhead RFC 25, Bracknell 23

Maidenhead secured their first win since November 16 as they came from behind to beat derby rivals Bracknell with one of the last kicks of the game at Braywick Park on Saturday.

Maids had slipped down the Regional 1 South Central table following successive defeats to Jersey, CS Stags, Wimbledon and London Welsh, however, they bounced back from that tough run to win their first competitive clash of 2025.

Head coach David Mobbs-Smith always knew his side would be up against it playing four of the division's top five sides, however, they managed to grasp a couple of useful bonus points from that losing run and then managed to back those up with this determined home victory.

Having seen Bracknell push Jersey close at Braywick Park the previous weekend, Maids must have known they'd be in for a difficult first clash of the year, and so it proved.

Bracknell stuck with them on their own patch and led 23-22 heading into the closing stages before Greg Smith won the game for Maids with a last-minute penalty kick.

Maids have played two incredibly close games against Bracknell this season and were desperately disappointed to be pegged back for a 29-29 draw at Lily Hill Park back in October having held a 26-12 half-time lead.

This win though lifts them back to within a point of Bracknell in sixth - with a game in hand - and it also lessens some of the pressure they may have felt at being dragged back into the relegation scrap.

It also takes them a couple of points above eighth-placed Old Alleynians, who they host at Braywick Park this Saturday (January 18). After that they'll play their re-scheduled game at fourth placed Camberley on Saturday, January 25.

There are still eight league matches to play - so anything is still conceivably possible - however, this felt like a decisive victory for Maids and one which could change the narrative and mood heading into a crucial set of fixtures.

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Bracknell 2nds 7, Windsor 28

Windsor weren't at their scintillating best in difficult conditions at Bracknell 2nds on Saturday, but they still managed to secure a bonus point 28-7 victory.

The win moves them to within eight points of leaders Oxford Harlequins 2nds and maintains their hopes of promotion from the Counties 1 Tribute Southern North - either as champions or as one of the best runners up in the area.

Andy Symons may have hoped for more tries - or a little more fluency against the league's second bottom side, but the visitors still managed to run in four tries - each converted by Ben Grant-Adamson. Kieran Ghafadgi, Allen Crawshaw, Epeli Takesenilagi and Luke Budd gave them a stranglehold on the contest, while Grant-Adamson swept over the extras. They were also aided by a red card picked up by Bracknell's Steven Reid late in the game.

Their seventh bonus point win on the spin keeps them in touching distance of Quins and above third placed Chinner 3rds ahead of a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash with Quins at Home Park this Saturday (January 18). A bonus point win could move Windsor to within three points of the leaders, however, to do that they'd have to something no other side has managed against Quins this season.

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Marlow are still waiting to get back to competitive action after an extended Christmas and New Year break, after their match at home to H.A.C RFC this Saturday was postponed.

It's the side's second postponed match of the new year, after their game at Old Haberdashers the previous weekend also fell foul of the weather.

The Haberdashers trip has been rearranged for Saturday, January 25, while HAC will visit Riverwoods on Saturday, February 22

Kev O'Byrne and his players will be hoping to get a weather window to enable Saturday's clash at leaders London Scottish Lions to go ahead.

The Lions defeated them 45-0 at Riverwoods earlier this season and will go into the game as overwhelming favourites after winning 13 of their 14 matches so far.

Marlow are currently 10th but have games in hand on most of the teams around them in the Regional 2 Thames table.