COLCHESTER 5

WESTCLIFF 48

National League Three London & SE Division

COLCHESTER slumped to a seven-try defeat at the hands of Essex neighbours Westcliff to leave themselves needing a winning streak and relying on other teams to fail if they are to avoid relegation.

The Blacks proved to be pushovers quite literally at Mill Road in a one-sided derby against a Westcliff side whose forwards scored five push over tries and limited their hosts to scraps of possession.

Colchester had been hoping for revenge for their 19-17 defeat at the hands of Westcliff, last October.

But they discovered to their cost that the visitors' larger pack had improved considerably, pushing them off the ball and denying their backs possession.

Injuries robbed Colchester of front row players but the replacements in the pack gave their all against larger and more experienced opponents.

Despite being outmuscled, commitment was not in doubt as home players put their bodies on the line, with injuries to skipper Liam Pickett and hooker Charlie Thorogood forcing them to leave the field.

Colchester started the game strongly until a Westcliff scrum drive caught the hosts offside and fly-half Jack Jones converted to start the scoring.

Pressure from the home side pinned the visitors into their half for most of the first quarter, with a high tackle earning Westcliff centre John Rudd a yellow card.

Danny Whiteman and Brandon Fanolua made ground but strong tackling led to spilled ball and scores denied.

Restored to full strength, Westcliff took the game to Colchester with a foot in touch denying a try before a catch and drive lineout try for hooker Jack Hopkins.

Scrum dominance and tight control led to the home side conceding penalties that Westcliff kicked for position.

A series of scrums wore down the hosts' resistance until the first scrum pushover try for number eight Joe Vandermolen ended the first half, with Jones adding his second conversion for the 17-0 half-time lead.

The visitors pack adapted the scrum as an attacking weapon for the second half.

Colchester were driven back, with a series of scrum fails ending with Vandermolen’s second pushover try.

Westcliff backs’ over-confidence proved costly and a loose bouncing pass was seized by Colchester wing Harry Barton who raced in an opportunist try from 40 metres to put the home side on the scoreboard.

However, hopes of a Colchester revival were quickly dashed by Rudd's break and another scrum pushover try grounded by flanker George Maloney.

Westcliff continued to pressure a dispirited Colchester, a lineout catch and drive pushover try for lock Rupert Edwards following.

Colchester rallied - replacement hooker Alex Rayment broke through the middle to set up an attacking platform on the visitors' line before a poor pass enabled a Westcliff counter-attack with fullback Chris Dudman racing almost the length of the field for a try.

A second high tackle yellow card then meant Colchester flanker Ben Murphy sat out the final few minutes.

The Westcliff scrum had the final say, forcing a series of Colchester scrum failures that left referee Andy Smith no option but to award a penalty try, with Jones adding his fifth conversion to close the game.