HAMPSHIRE 1

                           VENTNOR 12, OVERTON 18

IT WAS another hugely frustrating day for Ventnor, whose endeavour and commitment was not reflected, yet again, in the final score.

Playing with the wind in the first half, the home team set up wave after wave of attacking phases, only for small mistakes or poor decision making bringing them up short.

Against the run of play, Overton took the lead after a breakaway and scrum penalty.  

Isle of Wight County Press: Ventnor’s Harry Colson tries to wrestle his way through Overton’s defence. Ventnor’s Harry Colson tries to wrestle his way through Overton’s defence.

Unusually for Ventnor, the set scrum was an area of concern, which led to an early tactical switch which may have stopped the ‘boring in’ of the opposition props, but failed to cure the scrum problem.

But Ventnor kept ball in hand and when Ian Lane took the ball up, Sam Lines sped away, with Calvin Edwards providing the link for Jake Babington to streak over, converted by Ed Blake, to lead.

After more scrum problems, a dominant drive led to an Overton score.

Ventnor failed to capitalise on their advantages, with Blake missing a penalty, a pass to Harris went to ground when well placed to score. Chris Hill knocked on a yard short of the line and Blake broke through again, but was stopped as he was about to dot down.

Andy Teague spearheaded a massive attacking effort for Ventnor, against the wind.

Overton used the conditions well to pin Ventnor back and added two more tries.

However, in the final stages, it was all Ventnor with skipper Lewis Jones leading from the front and, after a ruck was won, Babington rounded his man to score under the posts.

Ventnor: Price, Jones (capt), Savill, Lane, Teague, Magnurson, Colson, Hill, Malkin, Blake, Edwards, Babington, Lines, Harris, Urbonas. Replacements: Pratt, Berry, Finan, Noyes, Riches.