Raiders survive as late kick fails

By STEVE FITZMAURICE

Sevenoaks……. 19

Worthing……….. 21

A missed conversion with the last kick of the game denied Sevenoaks a draw against Worthing.

In windy conditions, the cliche of a ‘game of two halves’ aptly described a match when Raiders scored 21 unanswered points with the wind at their backs in the first half and Oaks scored 19 without reply in the second.

Raiders earned firsthalf ascendancy with excellent recycling through the phases, superbly marshalled by Will Rigelsford, and he opened the Worthing scoring by darting over for the first of Raiders’ three tries, each well converted by Matt McLean.

The second Worthing try was the pick of the match as fluid movement following several phases saw winger Tom Bowen waltz over.

Sevenoaks tried their best to make incursions but it was the Raiders handling from deep that impressed, and ultimately resulted in their third try by Jack Forrest.

The second half was highly competitive from the start and, with the wind against them, Raiders were finding it hard to clear their lines.

In attempting to move the ball out of their own 22 through the hands, an errant pass presented an interception for Oaks wing Drew Forrester to romp home for a try converted by Ben Adams.

When Henry Galligan darted over for another converted try for Oaks on 65 minutes the game was alive. Jonny Short went over wide on the left, but Adams could not kick a difficult conversion.