MERSEA ISLAND 19

CLACTON 43

Suffolk Chadacre Cup

CLACTON exposed the differences between Essex League division one and Eastern Counties League division two when they ran in seven tries at The Glebe.

Mersea currently top their division, having only lost once this season, and were unbeaten at home.

However, it was not without its scarier moments for the Seasiders, and the Suffolk Plate holders can be proud of their overall performance.

The omens at the start were not good, with the Clacton transport being held-up en route following a nasty road accident in Colchester.

Nevertheless, they took the game to their feisty opponents and went in front when Ben Buxey scored in the left corner after 13 minutes.

Clacton were dominating the line-outs and used their maul to good effect, but it was the Islanders who equalised ten minutes later with a flowing move to the right-hand corner.

An excellent conversion kick put them in front, but it provoked an almost immediate response from the visitors, with captain Jake Buxey putting his side back in front.

A yellow card for Mersea just before the break did not help their cause, but there was no addition to the scoreline as Clacton changed ends with a 10-7 lead.

Tyler Fitzpatrick received a yellow card within two minutes of the restart to make the game 14-a-side, but immediately a tremendous run by Aaron Redpath saw him surge into the Mersea 22.

A high neck tackle took him out of the game and the referee deemed it of sufficient severity to award a penalty try, leaving Elliott Shuttleworth the easiest of conversions.

Ten minutes later, it was Shuttleworth himself who sliced through a gap in the Mersea line to dot the ball between the posts, giving him a comfortable conversion, and his side a 24-7 lead. Another five minutes elapsed before Jake Buxey made it try number five and then the Seasiders were prepared to coast home.

Two more yellow cards made it difficult for the home side and Clacton made substitutions to ensure the full squad was used.

However, with just six minutes of normal time left on the clock, Mersea raised the spirits and the noise level of their supporters with a try.

Four minutes later, another try under the posts, along with the subsequent conversion, had seen a 22-point difference reduced to just ten and the Seasiders looked a little rattled.

However, a tremendous tackle in the middle of the field by Bayley Eden set Jon Vine up to take the sting out of things and establish a 36-19 advantage.

With the game now in added time, the hosts were devastated and it was Vine who supplied the icing on the Clacton cake with a spinning off-load that enabled Redpath to canter in under the posts.

A fourth conversion for Shuttleworth made the final score 43-19 and so Clacton progress to the semi-final of the competition.

Their reward is a trip to Woodbridge, 11-5 winners at Harwich, and that is scheduled for February 25.

Clacton excelled in most aspects of the game, but their man-of-the-match was adjudged to be Max Swift.

Special mention should also go to referee, George Littlechild, who was in complete control throughout and had an excellent game.

The Seasiders return to Essex League action this Saturday when they play hosts to Old Brentwood's at Vista Road.

Kick-off is at 2.30pm and there is a pre-match lunch beforehand.

There was disappointment for the Kestrels when their friendly fixture with Maldon's third team was called off on Thursday.

However, it is hoped to rearrange the match before the end of the season.

In the meantime, it's back to Eastern Counties League division three action this Saturday with a visit to Ipswich YM seconds.