Finchley send Welwyn packing for 2nd time!!!

This game had to be replayed as Welwyn had previously complained about the fact that an unofficial referee officiated the first match following the club being let down by the society. Finchley had won this first game 31-7 so the team went into this game determined to ensure they won.

Finchley started brightly spending a lot of the early part of the game in Welwyn half. It soon became apparent that the Finchley front five had the better of Welwyn in the scrums and were winning ball against the head. For the entire half Welwyn also seemed to have little to offer in the backs and whenever they tried to clear the pressure with the boot, Wheldon and Davidson were able to gather the kicks and run it back with interest.

However, despite this early pressure Finchley we're not able to finish moves off and put points on the board as a result of the final passes not going to hand and too many turnovers. Finchley did manage one score midway through the half when fly half, Alex Young, rolled back the years and pulled off his famous "show and go" to sneak through a gap and touch down under the posts. Davidson converted. Frustratingly, however, this would prove to be the only score of the half and Finchley went into the break only 7-0 up despite having 70% of possession and territory.

Captain Coleman and the experienced Morgan gave the team some harsh (but encouraging) words at half time in the hope that the errors would be cut out and the team would become more clinical in the second half. It was Welwyn, however, who started the second half the brighter and they soon made the score 7-5 when they scored in Finchley's left corner after breaking through a slightly disorganised defence. Conversion missed.

Thankfully though, it was the home side who came back the stronger and Welwyn were hardly in the Finchley 22 after this. The scrum was still going well and Manny Tobin, (now moved to no8) was energetic from the base and in the loose. However, promising opportunities were still being wasted and the game was heading for a tense finish until 10 minutes from the end when, finally, the pressure told. A good drive in the scrum led to Tobin and then both Blake and Willacy coming close with drives for the line before Morgan, now playing at flanker, went over. Davidson missed the conversion.

The final ten minutes was once gain played in the Welwyn half and in the closing moments of the game, Inigo Saxon-Stone took advantage of another dominant Finchley scrum and broke away from the back to score near the right corner. Davidson's miss from the conversion was the last action of the game and Finchley had won 17-5.

It may not have been their best performance but the win means Finchley 2XV stay in touch with the top 2 in the merit league and, if we put together a string of wins, promotion is still a distinct possibility. Manny Tobin was awarded Man of the Match.