H&B struggle to turn pressure into points

Crowborough arrived confident after pushing Heathfield so close last week and with Hastings narrowly beating Pulborough it was all to play for.

The pitch was surprisingly firm and with barely a wisp of wind to create excellent playing conditions.

As is ever the case H&B started off brightly pressuring the Crowborough line only for the last pass to go astray or delaying it a second too long. Crowborough gradually began to get a footing in the game and with H&B giving away possession with a succession of penalties for putting hands in the ruck or unusually high tackles, the visitors found themselves 20 metres out with a gift of a penalty in front of the posts, which they converted.

With the forwards slugging it out no side was gaining the upper hand.

Uncharacteristic handling errors from key players continued to leave Hastings on the back foot in vulnerable positions. With both sides missing kickable penalties, the match was too close to call as half time approached.

Then, following their longest spell of possession, H&B found themselves mauling the ball 10 yards from the Crowborough line. Paul Sandeman took from the back and popped it up to the rampaging Niel Redman who turned and twisted through two tackles then managed to slip a pass to Jimmy Adams who fell over the line to put Hastings 5 - 3 up at the break.

Another unforced knock forward under their posts by H&B gave Crowborough the platform they required with a scrum in front of the posts, five yards out. With Mcmanus watching from behind the opposition posts having been binned, Crowborough neatly slipped the ball though the hands exploiting the overlap to score in the right hand corner. 5 - 8 to Crowborough.

This galvanised Hastings into the kind of form we have yet to truly see this season, maintaining possession, driving the ball and taking it on without being penalised.

From a scrum midway on the pitch, Paul Flood took the ball and drew the scrum half before passing to Danny Ralph, who stepped outside his man and tore up the park before stepping inside the covering fullback, only to be tackled five metres short of the line.

Hastings continued to pile on the pressure with Adams thwarted by a deliberate knock on by the Crowborough wing and Tom.Brampton looking dangerous.

A succession of penalties within eminently kickable positions were shrugged aside as H&B went for the win.

With the referee calling the last play of the game, Ralph received a long pass from a tapped penalty, stepped round his man, and ran in for the winning score.