Steady start in Ashtead

Old Walcountians followed up on the success of their Under-21s, who won the National Under 21s Shield for the second year in succession, by getting off to a winning start.

Old Freemen’s, like Walcountians, are in Surrey League 1 and will be opponents for Walcountians later in the season. The opening 15 minutes looked worrying for Walcountians as Freemen’s went into a twelve-point lead on the back of two tries. However, Walcountians responded positively with the forwards aggressively taking the game to their opponents with prop Pete Cowlin, lock Neil Pemberton and the back row of Joe Baker, Greg Fairchild and Joe Henderson driving Freemen’s off the ball. Behind the scrum, centres Charlie Brown and Jake Ayres repeatedly tested Freemen’s defence and Walcountians cut back the hosts’ lead in the 23rd minute when No 8 Joe Henderson surged over for a try from a tap penalty, fly-half Andy Gill converting.

Walcountians took the lead as half-time approached when Pete Cowlin punched a massive hole in the Freemen’s defence after driving from a lineout and found Neil Pemberton in support to put flanker Greg Fairchild in for a try which Andy Gill again converted.

Walcountians extended their lead in the first five minutes of the second half when newcomer Jake Donald took a reverse pass and wrongfooted the Freemen’s defence to go over for a try. However, Freemen’s found a second wind in the last quarter and began to put Walcountians under pressure. A textbook threequarter move put their left-winger in for a try in the 22nd minute and, when their inside-centre ran in a try in the 39th minute they appeared to have sealed victory.

Walcountians were not prepared to take the loss of their lead lying down and scored two tries in stoppage time to pull off a spectacular turn-around. The first came from Joe Henderson who picked up the ball at the base of a ruck close to the Freemen’s line and drove over to touch down. The second came from Callum Stone, who accelerated past a stunned Freemen’s defensive line to touch down and seal a deserved victory for Walcountians.

Several players who were either new to the club or second-string players impressed, notably Jake Ayres, Jake Donald, Liam Moorhead, Joe Baker and Greg Fairchild, while veteran former Chairman Neil Pemberton served notice that he might be on for a 1st XV recall in the twilight of his playing days.

Old Walcountians:- Simmonds, Moorhead (S), Ayres, Brown, Naylor, Donald, Stone, Cowlin, Richardson, Bell (Dan), Bell (Dom), Pemberton, Claustres, Evans, Henderson.

Subs:- Baker, Fairchild, Gill, Jaffar, McDaniel, Moorhead (L), Rodd.