Park Beat Braintree And Get Back To Winning Ways (Part 2)

Park played hosts to Braintree for the second league game in 3 weeks, and the Essex League has not played out well with us only picking up two points all season at bottom club Stanford. But a new year showed a new determined Romford side intent on turning their fortunes around and were unlucky a couple of weeks back where they were unlucky to loose to Barking in the final play.

Last time the two side sides met was in a friendly game at Braintree which Park walked out 19-14 winners. And this weekends game proved to be just as close and could of gone either way.

The game kicked off and the game was closely contested by both sides having chances to score but finding the other side shutting them out. But it was Romford who opened the scoring with a breakaway try from Bailey Finlayson to give Park a 5-0 lead. Park responded to this how they have done many a time this season by switching off for a few moments and allowing the opposition to attack which Braintree took the invitation kindly and pressed Park on their line for around 10 minutes. However Romford defended well on the line and holding fort well but Braintree scored a try that they deserved which they converted to lead the game 7-5. They could have been in but for a superb try saving tap tackle from Ryan Blinkhorne.

Half Time: RGP 5 Braintree 7

The second half started similar to the first but is was Ade Olaleye who finished off some good play by Park to restore the lead to 10 - 7. Keen not to let the game slip away Braintree reapplied the pressure on Park but it was Romford who were unlucky not to score again when Luke Metcalf touched down from a Tom O'Meara breakaway, but the try was ruled out for a forward pass.

This reignited the visiting side as a talented Braintree pack allowed then to spread wide to touchdown in the corner to put them back in front. Romford then conceded a string of penalties which Braintree capitalised on to put the ball down in an almost identical place to the try just a few minuted before.

Romford attempted to get themselves back into the fixture and showed some rally good team play only for Ade Olaleye to have his attempt held up over the line. Romford continued to play well as a team over the day but their third try came as a result of a superb solo effort from Michael Courtney.

Braintree tried to use their forward strength to power through the middle but Connor Hardy, Harry Runham and Ben Walton lead the pack well to force Braintree wide. But Ryan Pooley was in inspired form out wide giving the visitors limited scope for attack. Romford continued to push for the winning try and Sam Slatford, Shaun Kerr and Nathan Hunte were putting in big carries backed up by the forwards to retain the ball.

Stand in scrum half Thayne Henwood almost created the chance to put Park back in when he kicked over the top for Bailey Finlayson to chase only for the referee to judge the ball to be held up. Park did get the winning try late on when they pressed Braintree back on their own try line for Luke Metcalf to pounce on a dropped ball over the line to put Park 20 - 17 up.

Braintree pushed hard for the remaining few moments for Park to hold on for a 20-17 win

Final Score: RGP 20 - Braintree 17

RGP - 20
tries: Finlayson, Olaleye, Courtney, Metclaf

Braintree - 17

A really complete team win today and some more good building blocks to push on - enjoy the next two days and then we come out on Tuesday ready to go again with a massive league decider against Dagenham in 3 weeks time.

We would also like to wish Bailey Finlayson and Owen Flower best of luck at the Essex County trials next Sunday - a really hard choice to select just two players, plenty more deserved to go, I had a list of 9 players I wanted to send.

To finish this report we leave it in the words of Jim #proudtocoach.