Fawley v Lymington Mariners – Match Report

Mariners get back that winning feeling

Lymington Mariners 7 – 5 Fawley

After 2 consecutive defeats in the league Lymington Mariners’ 1st team secured a much needed 7-5 win against Fawley last saturday.

As the score suggests this was a well fought match with both team’s defensive work winning the battles at decisive moments to keep the score so low.

Mariners’ start to the day wasn’t the greatest as Callum discovered two dislodged vertebrae in his neck and Bolwell senior had a touch of the seniors come over him. However Nozza and Stuuie, both ex-Fawley players themselves, stepped up to the mark and for 80 minutes gave their all with titanic performances.

Following a series of penalties the early dominance was all Fawley’s but some hard hits from the Mariners and a missed kick for goal by the home side saw the scoreboard untroubled. Craig Esterhuizen the talisman of the 2nd team, having relented and agreeing to play for the 1sts, proved that a wise head on old legs was still a winning formula at full back.

Lymington then started to get their hands on the ball and the backs in particular made good in-roads to Fawley territory. The forwards were working the pod plays excellently and had it not been for a few loose balls coming out the ruck Lymington’s pressure might have come to more.

Joe Rodway from a penalty in a promising position was left with the decision of whether to kick for the corner or spin it wide – both options looking promising. Instead he chose to run straight into the nearest defender who picked him up and dumped him flat on his back. Nurse Florence West wandered about remonstrating noisily but more miraculous was that Joe got back up injury free!

Jamie Banasik, in his 2nd game back with the 1st team, despite a number of his trademark impossible-to-follow marauding runs discovered again that the try line isn’t as easy to find at this level – but unlike Dom Ellis we all know it’s just a matter of time before he does.

The first half continued with both sides threatening to unlock the defensive door only to find it quickly slammed shut. When the half time break finally came the score line was still 0-0.

A quick half-time chat from coach Rodway and the troops were ready for action. Merrick Gill received the kick and immediately crashed through the charging Fawley pack to show the Mariners’ intent to be the ones going forward.

Apparently the key word of the second half for Lymington was ‘territory’. This was never more evident than from a Lymington free-kick where 14 players wanted the quick tap but skipper Cavell had the casting vote and called for the kick to touch with the words -  ‘I know it’s a fucking free-kick – I want the territory’ echoing round the local community. Fortunately both the ref and the touch-judge forgot the rule about awarding the line-out from where the kick was taken and territory was what we got.

But who could question our tireless leader when from the resulting phases of play Merrick Gill did what he does best – from a ruck three yards out he deployed his uncanny skill of finding the ball and bulldozering his way over the line. Joe Rodway kicked the extras and Lymington took a 7 point lead.

Jamie Banasik started to make noise about his hurt thumb and he wasn’t joking you know. But it was Ben Bradley-Watson who sustained a bruise to one of his kidneys that gave the worst kit man in the world ever Lee Thomas the chance to take the field. Straight into the thick of things his Wookie claw was immediately applied to three Fawley faces leading to fruitless enquiries to the referee as to their legality.

Fawley then had their chance to attack and from a series of rucks near the Lymington line their scrum half sent a long pass to the left winger. With only Mr. Magoo Banasik opposite him he was able to get within a foot of the line before Jamie even saw him and the try was scored.  Fortunately the conversion was missed.

The remainder of the game was played mostly in the middle of the pitch – neither team threatening a decisive breakthrough. Joe Rodway found the opportunity to be dump tackled again and once again he picked himself up with everything still in tact and working.

With just a few minutes remaining 14 Lymington players did their best to run down the clock. John West however, despite being shouted at repeatedly by all around him, went deaf and took a quick penalty to run off on his own. Luckily the referee called him back for missing the mark and order was restored with a kick to touch. A line-out and scrum or two later the final whistle went and the Mariners won their 6th victory in 9 league outings.

Back in the changing rooms the news that the 2nd team had managed to pull off the double over Fawley and claim their third league victory in as many weeks was greeted with much Christmas cheer.

This week’s man of the match goes to skipper Owen Cavell. As always his leadership on the field, coupled with his ever reliable performances at hooker (three against the head this week), makes him central to everything that is great about this young Lymington club.

Being the last game of 2011 it shouldn’t go unmentioned that another year has passed without Dom Ellis finding out what it’s like to score a try.