Mitcham & Carshalton cause Havoc at Haslemere
Mitcham & Carshalton got their season back on track with a comprehensive 11 try victory at struggling Haslemere.
On a clear but cold afternoon Mitcham arrived looking to play a fast off loading game and wasted no time opening the scoring with Luke Halford crossing after a strong carry from Anthony Davenport. Haslemere replied with some strong running towards the Mitcham 22 but after some resolute defence a turnover relieved the pressure which Mitcham rarely allowed Haslemere to re-establish. Multiple attacking threats in the back line were too much for a bewildered home defence to handle. George Howe and John Duggan were particularly threatening both crossing for a brace. Solid set piece combined with Haslemere handling errors meant Mitcham rarely looked in trouble and managed to build a comfortable 38-0 lead at half time, the standout score being a try neatly finished by Billy French after a turnover led to a slick double offload between Joe Humphrey and Ant Davenport in the mid-field.
The second half started as the first began with Luke Halford crossing the white wash. Halford was more than a handful for Haslemere all afternoon, crossing for five tries by the end of the day. Attempts by Mitcham to experiment with new plays meant they couldn’t maintain the first half scoring rate but that might have been a different story if otherwise excellent scrum half Charlie Smee hadn’t fluffed his lines twice with knock-ons during back row moves from attacking positions. Most impressively though Mitcham didn’t let their concentration slip and maintained a clean sheet despite the home team never letting their heads drop. Equally heartening was the fact that the 80 minutes caused no further injuries after a unlucky run and that 1st team debut’s from Michael Parker and Zack Prior showed definite promise.
Mitcham & Carshalton close out the year with a home game vs Raynes Park on the 9th December.
Scorers
Tries – Luke Halford (5), John Duggan (2), George Howe (2), Billy French, Paul Whittall
Cons – Paul Jones 8
MOTM – Joe Humphrey
Mitcham are always looking to build their side and those who are interested should contact mcrfcsec@gmail.com or contact via the Facebook page
Twitter: @MitchamRUFC
Images Courtesy of Sam Bardwell
