Lewes RFC

A successful weekend in Jersey had enabled Lewes to put a four-match losing run behind them with a 24-31 win, and they were hoping to extend winning ways a week later as they hosted Shoreham at the STG.

However, neither team really got going during the first half, so at half time there was no score. Shoreham did have the opportunity to take the lead with a penalty kick, but the muddy conditions affected the stability of the standing foot and it was missed.

Lewes’ outstanding fly half, Jordy Smith, produced the biggest threat to Shoreham with two incisive kicks down wind into the left-hand corner, but Lewes were unable to take advantage of either opportunity. And then losing Harry Carr to a yellow card on the brink of half time didn’t help matters as far as Lewes were concerned.

However, whatever the Lewes coaches said to the team at half time, it must have worked as a different team emerged in the second half. They had only just got back to a full fifteen men when their centres combined well down the left wing to put Raff Green over under the posts.

Smith’s conversion made it 7-0, and this soon became 12-0 as another rampant Lewes attack saw Raff Green cross for his second try. This was then capped off with a brilliant individual try by Smith that increased the lead to seventeen points. Towards the end of the second half Tom Petty left the field for the final time and was thanked for his many years of service to the club.

Shoreham did manage to grab a consolation try before the end of the game, which left the final score at 17-5. There is no doubt that the classy displays of Smith and Green had given Lewes the edge in this game. These two have been outstanding all season and really make the Lewes midfield tick.

Next weekend the vets’ team are playing at Crawley (31^st January) while the 1^st XV will be back in action next month when East Grinstead come to the STG on 14^th February and Lewes travel to Eastbourne on 28^th February.

Lewes team: Soltermann; Carr, Green (captain), Goode, Benson; Smith, Moore; Brooker, Simmonds, Thomas; Bradford, Sale; Taylor, Cross, Medhurst. Replacements: Petty, Coe, Rees.