Neil Brading pounced on a poor Ventnor pass to score IW’s third try. Picture by Peter Boam.
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RUGBYIW 35, Ventnor 6
IW PROVED why they were top of Hampshire Two with a thumping win over Ventnor at Wootton Rec on Saturday.
The last time the two met they were separated by just four points, and this game was expected to be tight, physical and typical of any local derby.
At the end of the first half that could be said, but the final score shows how the league leaders tore at the heart of second-placed Vent-nor and beat them in every department.
The game began as expected, a cat-and-mouse affair on a near-frozen pitch, with little ground gained by either side, although the IW certainly shaded the possession.
The breakthrough came after 20 minutes with the IW’s first real running chance, winger Chris Williams sprinting down the right and chipping his opposite number. It looked to be going dead but the collecting Ventnor player spilled the ball and it was left to Romanian Catalin Dinu to pounce on the mistake and touch down for a try, converted by Phil Baldwin.
A penalty 15 minutes later made it 10-0, with the IW looking on cruise control. However, silly mistakes cost them, and two penalty kicks from Damian Marriott put Ventnor right back in it for the second half.
Little did anyone realise that those six points would be all Ventnor would score, especially given the fact three IW players — Dean Jennings, Nick Puckett and Adam Thomas — were sin binned on different occasions to give Ventnor a total of 30 minutes with a man advantage.
Despite being a man down on three occassions, the IW never looked threatened in the second half, with two penalty kicks from Baldwin early in the second half restoring the ten-point advantage.
They pulled away with around 20 minutes to go when a drop goal attempt by the IW fell just short of the posts and the collecting Ventnor player knocked on. A scrum just five metres out gave the IW the perfect chance to score and, after one attempt was held up over the line and another scrum was given, Puckett duly obliged to score IW’s second try, rolling off the scrum and going under the posts for a converted effort.
Further tries from Neil Brading, who intercepted a terrible Ventnor pass just ten metres from the line, and an unconverted effort by Chris Williams, sealed a convincing victory.
IW: Puzey, Newnham, Jennings, Thomas, Church, Tombleson, Leal, Puckett, Cotter, Baldwin, Gates, Peters, Brading, Williams, Browne. Subs: Wilson, Boulter, Dinu.
Ventnor: Walker, Jesney, Price, Vanassche, Pemberton, Testa, Pickard, Riches, Marriott, Kenny, Adkins, Rogers, Lines, Harris, Fulljames. Subs: Entwhistle, New-bury, Pratt, Wells.
• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below.
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