MUCH IMPROVED ROCHFORD JUST FALL SHORT

This was an excellent match of high quality and intensity but the little extra that Bury had was enough to see them through.

Rochford can take a great deal of positive ness away after playing some terrific rugby of commitment and determination but just lacked that final touch when required.

They created a number of try scoring chances which could not be put away and another factor was that Bury St. Edmunds took full advantage when Rochford were reduced to 14 men due to a yellow card and punished them with 2 tries in that 10 minute period .

Bury went ahead early on with a penalty kick but this was soon cancelled out by a Kit Branch effort. Another penalty by the home side ,followed by an opportunist try by their outside centre saw Bury increase their lead to 11 – 6.

Both teams went hammer and tongs at each other and both sets of defences were fully stretched to stop any further scores. Branch, at full back, showed his class with some fine line kicking and excellent running into the line and nearly set up a try after a quick fire break. Unfortunately the final pass to supporting Jack Pearce went astray.

The Rochford set scrum was first class all afternoon against a strong pack and new boys Jack Pearce and Greg.Whight were impressive. So were others such as Scott Chivers, George Chipper , James Needham and Darren Spencer.

Outside Dan Bracknell was all action supplying plenty of good ball to a lively stand off Dan Needham.

Good Rochford pressure allowed Branch to slot over two penalty kicks before half time to bring the scoreboard to 9 -11 in Bury’s favour.

The second session started well for the visitors when Kit Branch kicked over his fourth penalty to put his side ahead for the first time. This was short lived,however, as the influential Bury no.13 broke away to score under the posts for a further seven points after a yellow card offence for a Rochford player.

The Essex boys attacked the Suffolk outfit with gusto but Bury’s well organised defence kept them at bay and counterattacked themselves and they were more clinical at it. The home team’s scrum half dodged through the Rochford line to ground the ball under the posts and the try was duly converted.

The boys in black kept up the pace and eventually space appeared and they sped the ball wide and this time they achieved the rewards their efforts deserved when young wing Adam Ashton finished off a fine move to score in the corner.

At 17 – 25 it was “game on “ again but the fates were not going to be kind to Rochford on this afternoon as Bury broke away for their no.8 to drive over for a converted try.

Rochford did get the final say with another good late try by Ashton but with a ten point difference when the whistle went they did not even have a consolation of a losing bonus point which would have been the least their play deserved.

A terrific performance without, for the most part, that final touch but if they can keep up this intensity and skill level surely success will come.