Spirited Sharks come up short in Cup

ROMFORD 12 BRAINTREE 31

Romford Under 13's welcomed Braintree RFC to Crow Lane for the 1st round of the Essex Cup

The Sharks had several absentees and began the game with only 14 players to the visitors full quota of 15, with some playing out of position, but this did not deter Romford who made a great start, taking the game to their opponents with some strong running from the backs and good rucking and set piece play from the forwards

The Sharks finally made the breakthrough in the 13th minute with a brilliant try from captain Harry Wright, who after some good work, picked up the ball inside his own half and ran through to score under the posts. Ross Walters converted and Romford were 7-0 in the lead

It was against the run of play when the visitors went through to score and reduce the deficit to 7-5

Romford were playing really well though and some good passing along the line by the backs saw the ball go to speedy wing Brandan Farrant who picked up the ball and raced through to score. Romford were now 12-5 ahead

There then followed a horrible injury to Wright, who was tackled to the ground and took a bad fall on his head. A long period of treatment followed but the Sharks captain was unable to continue and taken to hospital, where he was thankfully discharged later in the day

This reduced Romford to 13 players and from a scrum at the restart, Braintree drove forward to go over the line and make the half time score 12-10 to the Sharks

Now playing with two players less than their opponents and the loss of a player in outstanding form, Romford found the second half tough and the away team capitalized with the extra men, using overlaps to score three converted tries with reply to win the game 31-12

A fantastic effort from the boys, who in the first half played their best rugby of the season by far and had it not been for the fact we were playing the second half with two players down, could have been talking about a great victory

All the players, coaches and parents wish Harry Wright a speedy recovery

Romford: Louis Ridley, Miles Wilson, Nathan Jarvis, Aaron Irving-Still, Harry McVelia, Toby McCloud, Robson Burke, Ronnie Brooks, Harrison Sykes, Ross Walters, Ben Miller, Harry Wright (capt), Brandan Farrant, Caius Charles