Marlow run riot at Riverwoods as Windsor's relegation fears grow

Action from Marlow’s 45-19 win over Windsor on Saturday. Photo: Ian Branch/Marlow RFC

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Windsor’s hopes of finishing outside the bottom two in Regional 2 Thames look increasingly bleak after a heavy away defeat at local rivals Marlow on Saturday.

Hosts Marlow were in top form at Riverwoods, running in a series of impressive tries across both halves to ease clear of Andy Symons’ side for a 45-19 win.

Windsor are desperate for any points right now, even losing bonus points, but they fell short on that front too as they were pummelled in the first half and came off at half-time trailing 26-5.

There was a marginal improvement from the visitors in the second half as they managed to put 14 more points on the board, but Marlow always had the game comfortably under their control to seal their ninth win from 18 matches this season.

For Marlow, who’ve also lost eight matches, it’s been a helter-skelter season and their lack of consistency - particularly away from home - means they’ve been unable to trouble the teams pushing hard for promotion.

Marlow have two winnable games coming up at eighth placed Harpenden on Saturday and third from bottom Wild Geese on March 21, before finishing their campaign with a trip to leaders Brunel University (March 28) and a home game with third placed Belsize Park (April 11)

With 10th placed London Irish Wild Geese having now opened a six-point lead over Windsor in the battle to stay out of the bottom two, it’s looking increasingly likely Symons’ side will be relegated alongside bottom club Oxford Harlequins.

They have though, been much more competitive than Quins - who they were promoted alongside last season - managing five wins so far to Quins who remain winless.

The Wild Geese look to be finishing the season relatively strongly, having pushed leaders Brunel all the way – and picked up losing bonus points in Saturday’s 26-24 away defeat.

Windsor have four matches left to salvage their campaign and potentially avoid the drop. They host Quins in a must-win clash on Saturday and then travel to ninth placed Grasshoppers on March 21 in another game they’ll likely have to win if they’re to get above the Wild Geese or Grasshoppers in the final weeks of the season.

Windsor then host Old Priorians on March 28 and finish their season at Teddington on April 11.