Steyning Checkmate the Knights

A warm sunny afternoon greeted the players as they took to the pitch in this much anticipated league game.
Steyning started nervously with a few ball handling errors that eventually led to Worthing Knights opening the scoring with a try 13 mins into the game, this was converted giving Worthing a 7 point lead.
Steyning replied almost immediately, with a great try by Jez Stewart 3 mins later, with Andrew Whatley (Whatters) kicking the conversion.
The rest of the first half was hard fought with Steyning having most of the possession and chances, the most notable being a disallowed try for Stewart Cotter after the referee deemed the last pass as being forward (if only we had TMO!, check the video and decide yourselves).
At half time the score remained Steyning 7 Worthing Knights 7
The second half started the same as the first half had ended, with a titanic battle between the two packs.
Within a couple of minutes Matthew Hodson (Mooey) scored a try from close in, with Whatters converting the try to make it 14-7.
Matt Kavanagh- Clarke came off with an injury and was replaced with Stu Yeomans.
The game continued with Steyning enjoying most of the possession, Stu Yeomans made it 19-7 after 55mins, (Not converted)
Another substitution was made by Steyning, Nathan Roberts going off and being replaced by Della Fish (Nathan would later come back on due to a front row injury.)
Matthew Hodson then ran in his second try of the game on 60 mins, with the conversion missed (24-7)
A number of substitutions were made by Steyning, before Stewart Cotter ran in a barnstorming try on 75th minute, converted by Alexander Pell-Stevens (31-7)
Jon Hamley (Capt) was then replaced due to injury, with Nathan Roberts making a return to the front row (and quickly made friends with one of the Worthing forwards).
With only a few minutes left on the clock Steyning again had to make a couple of late substitutions due to injury.
On 80 Mins Ben Midgley (Monkey) crossed the try line to extend the lead to 36-7 with the conversion missed.
With the ball going dead shortly after the restart the final score:-
Steyning RFC 36 – Worthing Knights 7
A last note must be a big thank you to Worthing Knights who never stopped competing and provided a real test for Steyning.
And a huge thank you to all the Steyning Supporters that came out to cheer the boys on, you really do make all the difference.

Match Report by Al Beazley