A fantastic team performance brings a deserved bonus point 29 – 39 win for us on the Island.

A fantastic team performance brings a deserved bonus point 29 – 39 win for us on the Island.
In what must be one of our best games of the season, we came away from Sandown and Shanklin with a bonus point win. Both sides treated the crowd to game of rugby that had everything from fast, expansive, slick rugby to great defence and total commitment.
We took the lead after thirty seconds when Peter Scott crossed the line deep in the corner to give us a five point lead but in this see saw match the Hurricanes had equalised within three minutes.
As the exciting game continued both sets of three quarters threatened each other’s try line with slick handling and training ground manoeuvres only to be met with big tackles and stalwart defence. It was Sandown who broke the deadlock just on the first quarter with a converted try to take them to twelve points.
Fordingbridge Man of the Match Paddy Gogin brought the scores level again when he scored the first of his four for the afternoon. As the half approached the try lines were crossed twice more, one by each team, firstly by Sandown and then by Paddy. The half ended with the Hurricanes just two points up thanks to an extra conversion at 19 – 17.
As the teams and the crowd got their breath back and reflected on a half of dazzling rugby with six tries, nobody expected that the second half would be just as entertaining and exciting. In fact it was almost better with the high level of rugby continuing and another six tries to come.
Paddy Gogin’s hat trick try came just after the break and with Mat Norton converting the lead had again changed hands. However, within ten minutes it was all square again when Sandown scored a superb try in the corner to keep the game on a knife edge.
Two further tries from Peter and Paddy put us ten up and with ten to go it was still anybody’s match. A pushover try from the Hurries pack gave them a glimmer of hope but with eight minutes to go Peter Scott dashed those hopes to score his hat trick try of the afternoon and close out the match for us.
With the return of Steve Brown at ten controlling the match and a superb performance from all eighteen of the squad this was a consummate performance from Fordingbridge assisted most ably by Sandown and Shanklin. In such a strong team performance one should not highlight individuals, but special mention should obviously go to Paddy and Peter who scored all seven tries between them. Also, Tim Brittan returned to the first fifteen squad and came on for the last quarter. He showed an amazing turn of speed for a fifty year old when he out paced the Sandown winger to deliver a try scoring pass to Peter.
Fordingbridge have one further game to play in two weeks against unbeaten US Portsmouth at home. Millbrook who are five points below Fordingbridge in the table, but with a game in hand, are the only side who can overtake them for the third spot in Hampshire One for this season.