Maidenhead's slow starts prove costly as injuries compound defeat to Old Alleynians

Maidenhead vs Old Alleynians at Braywick Park on Saturday. Photo credit: Paul Morgan

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There were no complaints from Maidenhead head coach David Mobbs-Smith after his side were beaten 24-45 by a much-improved Old Alleynians team at Braywick Park on Saturday, however, he is concerned that the team’s ‘soft starts’ to matches is costing them points.

They managed to battle back at the death for a losing bonus point - which could be hugely important come the end of the season - however, that’s now three straight losses in the Regional 1 South Central Division, and Camberley and Wimbledon - just behind them in the table - have caught up with them on 16 points.

It places extra pressure on Saturday’s crunch away tie at bottom of the table Hammersmith & Fulham in London, where Mobbs-Smith feels only a win will suffice for his side.

It’s already looking difficult for any of the bottom four teams to catch those in the top eight - with ninth placed Maidenhead now 12 points adrift of Worthing in eighth, but a spell of good form from now to early January against teams in and around them in the table could transform the club’s ambitions.

Reflecting on Saturday’s second home loss of the campaign, Mobbs-Smith felt the game was closer than the scoreline suggested, and it was Maids’ slow start which again left them playing catch up.

“Yeah, they are one of the better sides in the league and we were a little bit soft in the first 14 minutes,” said Mobbs-Smith.

“They scored twice to make it 14-0 and then they scored again to make it 19-0 and it looked like they were going to overrun us.

“We managed to get it back to 19-12 and it was 12-26 at half-time. We felt then that we were still in the game. And the game started to feel like it was going our way. It was then 19-26 and a lot of the momentum was with us. But we picked up a few key injuries, and we were whittled away in terms of our substitutes. We then couldn’t do things. They played some great rugby to get some tries at that point, and we were put to bed when it got to 19-45. By that stage, we were down to 14 players, because we had four injuries. It was as if we had a red card and we were fighting to get a bonus point and we managed to get it from the last play.”

A couple of key injuries in the second half robbed Maidenhead of momentum as they looked to chase down Old Alleynians’ lead. By the end of the game, they had round pegs in square holes, and only 14 players on the field due to their spate of injuries. Yet still, they played some decent rugby and showed the spirit to battle back and claim a fourth try from the final play of the game.

“At 19-26, it looked like it could be a good game,” added the Maids’ head coach. “If we’d scored it would have been 26-26 and we were well in the fight, but then we just picked up too many injuries and we were in trouble. I just couldn’t do anything from the bench to alter it. It was the last 14 players standing, some of them were out of position and they still managed to get that fourth try and a bonus point.

“We had them down to 13 players with two yellows, and we just couldn’t take advantage of that period. We did score one try but then so did they. It negated that advantage we had for 10 minutes. It was one of those games, lots of attacking rugby. They’re a good club; the lads stayed at the bar afterwards.

“Slow starts can be a theme. The initial physicality of some of these sides. That could be the difference in the first 20 minutes, but maybe we’re a little fitter which is why we can chase teams in the later part of the game. Maybe we’re being physicality dominated in the first 20 minutes. Some of it is just young players making critical errors in the wrong places in the early part of the game. This week that was the case. We made three critical errors, two offsides which gave them the ball and position to score off both of those. And we also overplayed in our own 22 and were stripped of the ball and they scored from that as well. Those errors and a little bit of a physical advantage to our opponents in the first 20 minutes, that’s what’s hurting us a little bit.

“It was the same at Farnham, when we allowed them to get away with two early tries. And the same away at Tunbridge Wells.

“If we hadn’t have picked up those injuries. I think we’d have got to 31 points, and they might have only had 38 instead of 45. They deserved to win the game; they were that little bit better than us and it shows in the league. They are one of the better sides in the league this season. They’re a good collective.”