Tottonians 50 Petersfield 22 – Report

To score 50 points at home for the third time this season, you would have thought that the feeling in the camp was one of elation but this was no walk in the park for the home side against a Petersfield side who had won just one of their previous eight since the start of October.

In fact, if it wasn’t for the desperately poor handling by the visitors, this could have been a very different story as Tottonians ran in eight tries to seal what looks like a comfortable win, but in reality, it was far from it.

Petersfield dominated large swathes of the contest, especially up front where their powerful pack pushed Totts back time and again in the scrums, but their regular releasing of possession helped the hosts, boosted by a sold-out pre-match lunch crowd including two Christmas party celebrating companies, take full advantage.

And whilst it might not have been the perfect performance, there was still plenty to enthuse about, most of all getting back to winning ways after the disappointment of a fortnight ago and the postponement last Saturday.

After the visitors had taken an early lead through a Nick Blumlein penalty, Totts hit back shortly afterwards.  Having been pushed off their own scrum, Totts conceded possession but it was coughed up all too easily by the ‘Field backline and cleaned up by Harry Dolbear who weaved through and found Player of the Match Andy McEwen on hand to cleverly squeeze over in the corner.

The lead was extended two minutes later when more messy ball from the away side allowed Dolbear the easiest saunter under the posts, which Robbie Searle converted and Totts were 12-3 up in a blink of an eye, courtesy of Petersfield handling faux-pas.

It certainly showed how dangerous they were and it needed two outstanding pieces of defensive play to keep them out at the other end when they did keep ball in hand.  So much so that the hosts were being penalised by the referee, and it was Searle who received the first of the two first-half yellow cards.

Petersfield should have scored on 26 minutes though when Liam Perkins broke in midfield but he, uncharistically, fumbled with the line at his mercy.  It was another sure fire let off for the home side.

And it was to cost them further when Cam Flint tidied up after yet another dropped ball and he fed Kev Raqio who had all the time in the world to ease to the line for the third try of the afternoon, Ethan Riley converting.

The bonus point was sealed on the half-hour mark.  From the kick-off, Totts poured forward, the ball came out to Leo Tongue who made an incisive break through the middle and Connor Andrews found a huge hole in the Petersfield defence to go in under the posts, leaving the visitors scratching their heads as to how they could be 26-3 down despite their dominence.

Charlie Quinn was sent to the sin bin just before half-time – not that many really knew why – and Petersfield finally got themselves over the line in the final action of a frentic first 40.

It didn’t take long for the story to be the same on the restart.  A quickly taken tap penalty by Dolbear caught Petersfield napping and he offloaded to Searle who surged through the middle of the park but the scrum-half had tracked him all the way and received the return to stroll in for his second of the afternoon.

Just three minutes later and there was a debut try for winger Jake Grimes, a recent acquition from Bicester.  He was on the end of the good passing move and found his way to the line wide out to extend the advantage to 38-10.

The game drifted slightly until four tries came in the final eight minutes!  McEwen added his second from a tap penalty, using his strength to power over, carrying a number of Petersfield players over the line with him and then … then … came the highlight of the day to bring up the team half-century.

It had been two years coming.  It was something of dressing room legend that Charlie Quinn hadn’t scored, being close, often being the provider but never getting himself on the scoresheet.  To the acclaim of everyone on the ground and cheers aplenty, he finally broke his duck.

Riley had made a good run into the Petersfield 22 and as he was tackled, there was Quinn, waiting in space with the line calling.  Riley popped the ball up to the big second row and he drove himself to the line and touched down.  The crowd went wild, his teammates embraced him.

There was still time for a bit of a late resurgence from the visitors who scored twice in injury time to cut the arrears to a more respectable 28 points rather than 40 but they will certainly have left the ground with regrets as it could have been a lot different than a 50-22 reverse.

For Tottonians though, it was a bonus point win, a much needed victory and keeps them in second with a huge game against fourth-placed Bournemouth to close out 2024.

TOTTONIANS POINT SCORERS:
2 tries – Andy McEwen (available to sponsor)
2 tries – Harry Dolbear (sponsored by W J French & Sons)
1 try – Kevin Raqio (sponsored by Ray Hall)
1 try – Connor Andrews (sponsored by Ramus Seafoods)
1 try – Jake Grimes (available to sponsor)
1 try – Charlie Quinn (sponsored by T.O.F.S.)
3 conversions – Ethan Riley (sponsored by Hausen Homes and Investments)
2 conversions – Robbie Searle (available to sponsor)

Hear what coach Tim Osman had to say at full-time in our exclusive post match video.

Kev Raqio and try scorer Charlie Quinn reivew the win over Petersfield.

Try scoring Andy McEwen and debutant Jake Grimes look back at the win.

Post match huddle!