ANOTHER MISSED CHANCE

This game was another of those afternoons where Rochford let the match run away from them after setting the pace and building a solid platform for a deserved win.

In the old football adage it was a “ game of two halves “ where Rochford were the more dominant and better side in the first half but then allowed Diss to build up their points tally to be able to wrench the game away from the Essex side and then hang on to gain a close win in this absorbing match.

Rochford started at a disadvantage having to travel up to Diss at the last minute because of unplayable home pitch at home but started with a bang when wing Tom Pickering score a great try after some fast and skilful back play.

Soon after that, stand-off Dan Needham broke through to go over and convert his own try and Rochford were 12- 0 up in as many minutes.

At this stage it was all Rochford as they had the power and the intensity to blow away their more vaunted opponents especially when Needham slotted over a penalty kick after big pressure from the forwards.

Diss, who seemed unable to react to the pace and power of the “ home “ side were given a lucky break from a Rochford lapse which let them in and their wing picked up the ball to sprint away and score a try which was converted.

Dan Needham struck over a further penalty to increase the score line to 18- 7 before Diss’s influential full back kicked a penalty to reduce the margin. Another Diss penalty brought the score to 18-13 at the break and every thing to play for in the second half.

Unfortunately it was the Norfolk side that did most of the playing in the second session as they did what they are good at doing like slowing the game down, kicking for territory and driving through their well drilled forwards.

This set up a number of power plays which resulted in their second row crashing over and the full back to slot over the conversion to take the lead at 18 – 20. They then went further ahead with a try by the full back who duly converted his own try. It must be said that Rochford’s excellent defence kept the score line down and some big tackles were made.

The game carried on in this fashion until the last few minutes when the Essex boys responded by launching a string of feverish attacks as time ran out and the game slipping out of their grasp.

Their efforts were at last rewarded when captain Matt Stewart finished off a good move to score under the posts for Needham to convert.

The game restarted with seconds left and Rochford threw everything at Diss to try to gain that elusive and vital win but the referee blew the final whistle and that was that.Diss blew a sigh of relief and Rochford were left with the knowing that this was another game that this was a team they should have put away on the day.

More good individual performances from the likes of Lloyd O’Conner, Tom Pickering, Dan and James Needham and others but another chance to improve our league standing went begging.