Maidenhead refuse to fold: Dramatic fightback secures 33-33 draw with Tunbridge Wells

Greg Smith. Photo: Paul Morgan

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Maidenhead 33, Tunbridge Wells 33

Maidenhead headed into Saturday’s home game with Tunbridge Wells hoping for a surprise result to help salvage their place in the Regional 1 South Central Division - and that’s exactly what David Mobbs-Smith’s side delivered as they battled back from 33-19 down to draw 33-33.

Against a Tunbridge Wells side looking to rubber stamp their place in the end of season promotion play-off match, this game looked dead and buried when the visitors ran in their fifth try just after the hour mark to extend their lead to 14 points.

Surely there was no way back for relegation-threatened Maids from there. And yet, they found a way. Tunbridge Wells eased off the gas just a touch and Maidenhead exploited that complacency, running in two late scores to make it 33-33 with just minutes left on the clock.

Still, Tunbridge had the chance to steal victory at the end, setting up a chance in time added on for their winger to go over in the left corner - a score which would have potentially snatched important bonus points away from Maids.

But under pressure from the covering tacklers, the ball was passed forward before their winger got the ball down in the corner and the match winning moment went begging for the visitors.

Maids won the resulting scrum and kicked the ball out to add three massive points to their tally with two matches to play.

It puts them five points clear of Camberley in second bottom and eight points above bottom placed Hammersmith & Fulham. With those points in the bank, they now look favourites to avoid automatic relegation.

Maidenhead hit the front from their first attack of the match, but they didn’t hold onto the lead for very long. It was Ollie Spence who crashed over in the left corner in the third minute, but Greg Smith was unable to convert the extras.

Tunbridge Wells came rolling back in the 11th minute, literally steamrollering Maids defence backwards in a maul over the try line to touch down. The extras were pocketed to make it 5-7.

The visitors then capitalised on a scrum in front of the posts, recycling the ball from some heavy hits from Maidenhead’s back line to go over in the right corner where they had an overload and players in space. A fine kick from out wide stretched their lead to 5-14. Tunbridge’s set piece play was now fully in tune and a catch and drive from a lineout saw them score their third try in the 20th minute. The maul took them right to the try line and they went through the phases to dive over under the posts. Losing 21-5 after the conversion, Maids seemed destined for defeat against one of the division’s best sides this season, yet - for the first of two times in the game - they showed fantastic powers of recovery to claw their way back into the contest. In the 32nd minute, they got a try back through Nick Riding. Again, Spence provided the base with an excellent catch and carry.

James Marsh then did brilliantly to offload the ball in the tackle to Riding who scampered away to score. Smith slotted the ball through the sticks to make it 12-21. But Maids weren’t done there. In the 37th minute, they cut Tunbridge Wells open again. This time it was Drew Prince who made the initial break, weaving past tackles to play in Boris Ames who had Harry Charman on his shoulder, and he ran in to touch down under the posts to make it 19-21 at the break with the conversion.

There was some controversy about Tunbridge’s fourth try. Maids looked to have pushed the Tunbridge player out on the far touchline, but he scooped a pass back inside for a teammate to run in and score. Head coach David Mobbs-Smith had his hands on his head while Stephen Jones - rugby correspondent for the Sunday Times - was also aghast that the score was given.

Maids could have wilted and looked like they would when Tunbridge scored again to make it 33-19 with the conversion, the visitors eventually forcing their way over from close range after a couple of pick-and-goes on the tryline.

Maidenhead showed their character in the closing 20 minutes though. First Ames picked up a kick over the top from Charlie Jeffs to touch down under the posts, a try which secured the hosts a crucial bonus point - the first objective for the day. But better was to follow. After surviving a spell of pressure from their visitors, Maids won a lineout close to the Tunbridge Wells line.

They worked the set piece well to create space for James Marsh, and he did the rest, cutting inside two or three tackles to dive over under the posts with less than four minutes to play. Tunbridge Wells had one last chance to take victory in the dying embers but fluffed their lines with a forward pass - and maybe Maids deserved that luck given the controversy over their earlier try.

Tenth is the best position Maidenhead can finish in, and it now looks certain they would travel to ninth placed Wimbledon for the division’s relegation play - should they keep themselves above Camberley and Hammersmith. While there’s now confidence, they’ll do that, the jeopardy remains.

Maids are back in action at fourth placed Old Alleynians on Saturday.