RUGBYWinchester 26, Ryde 19
RYDE were unlucky to lose this lacklustre Merit Two match.
The game began strongly when Josh Sayers hammered across the line for the opening try before he set up Vince Kennedy to score a second.
However, this gave Ryde a false sense of confidence, as Winchester quickly responded with two unconverted tries after Sayers was forced to retire, after only 20 minutes, with damaged ribs.
The game was finely balanced going into the interval and Ryde were feeling the pressure.
Winchester scored early in the second half before Ryde clawed one back when makeshift prop, Danny Vyse, powered over for a robust try. Winchester then had the luck of the ball when a full-on Ryde attack broke down at a ruck, and they made a 60m break to take a seven-point lead with 15 minutes left.
Ryde strived to recover, and almost did, when Martin Kirwood-Slack broke clear only to fall foul of the Winchester fullback’s desperate last-ditch tackle.
This was to be the final effort as the home side rode their luck to the final whistle. Dave True, who lead the Ryde team intelligently, converted two tries.