Tottonians 27 Winchester 24 – Report
A penalty with the final kick of the match ensured Tottonians maintained their 100% record in Regional 2 South Central as this breathless contest went all the way down to the wire.
TOTTONIANS 27 WINCHESTER 24
Water Lane, Totton
Saturday 26th October 2024
Regional 2 South Central – match 7
The sign of a good sports side is being able to stare down the opposition and haul yourself up from the canvas to claim a win. That is exactly what Tottonians did on Saturday afternoon in a pulsating contest with Winchester at Water Lane.
In a game that fluctuated one way and then the other as Winchester overturned a half-time 14-3 deficit with three unanswered tries within the first quarter of the second period to hold a ten point advantage and still come out of the game with just a single losing bonus point was testament to the strength and fitness of the hosts.
It was Tottonians who came out of the blocks the fastest, pegging the visitors deep in their own half for much of the opening half hour but it was their own errors, all too regularly being penalised for holding on, which happened on at least four occasions when in the oppositions’ 22, allowing Winchester to release the pressure and clear.
The deadlock was broken on 21 minutes when Robbie Searle kicked the first of his collection of penalties, which has been the Achilles heal of Winchester this season as the visitors were caught offside and he added a second just four minutes later.
A superb break from Totts and quick hands left the Winchester defence chasing shadows but Tom Tully, who sliced through and was finally held five yards out couldn’t find a colleague to finish the scintillating move that had the healthy crowd firm in applause.
Winchester were to be reduced to 14 men for the back end of the first half when scrum-half Tom Fieldsend saw yellow for persistent infringing and more of the same allowed Searle to hit a third penalty, this time for some back chat to the referee Dean Crossley.
But Totts’ troubles with holding on would cost them three points when Tommy Hare made no mistake in front of the posts to get Winchester on the board but the reduction of the lead would only last but a few moments.
A long, deep kick off was caught but the attempted clearance kick to touch was charged down by the on-rushing Leo Tongue, the ball bouncing loose and the winger and Totts’ leading try scorer this season made no mistake getting the ball down for the first try of the day, opening up a 14-3 interval lead.
Winchester stayed out on the pitch over the half-time break and they started the second half with plentiful invigoration, hammering the Tottonians line.
They were awarded a penalty try six minutes in as a wayward Tottonians line-out, something which has been an issue over the last couple of games, went too long and it was the visitors who were quickest to sweep up. With a flighted ball over to the left corner, Dylan Kirk’s tackle upended the Winchester attacker and the referee had no choice but to award the seven pointer and send the full-back for a ten minute sit down.
This allowed the Black and Golds to firmly put Totts under the cosh as first captain Matthew Golding found his way over the line and then two minutes later, with the home side struggling in defence and having lost influential number eight Nic Jansen to injury, Jacob Culley-Wilson penetrated the whitewash to give their side a ten point lead, having been eleven points down at the interval.
With time ticking down and Totts facing a second straight league home loss to Winchester in 2024, they came back at the visitors.
Firstly, Searle safely tucked away a fourth penalty as Winchester were again offside and then some good phase play brought them close to their line but they were held by the solid defence. However, the referee played a very good advantage when Winchester caught Totts with a high tackle, the ball was in the hands of Scott Rogers and, spotting a gap, the flanker raced through under the posts and Searle added the extras to bring the scores level.
The noise in the great sized crowd ramped up as the hosts put together one last opportunity to seal victory – there wasn’t much time left. Into the Winchester 22 they went once more, again fine defence kept them at bay but they were penalised 20 yards out. Up stepped the trusty veteran Tottonians fly-half who made no mistake with his fifth penalty and the final whistle blew before the ball landed beyond the posts and Totts had won 27-24!
Seven wins from seven games and, although they didn’t take the bonus point for the first time this season, they go into next week’s break with a three point lead at the summit of Regional 2 South Central before three more games in November – away at Andover on the 9th, home to Newbury on 16th and then, a crunch clash away at second placed and the only other unbeaten side in the division, Farnham on the 30th.
No-one is getting carried away but, the last time Tottonians won their opening seven league games in the season was in 2002/03 season, when we won 13 out of 13 (before losing three of the last five) but still won London 4 South-West and the time before that – 1990/91 when we won all 11 games in the season and won Hampshire 2.
Hear what coach Phil Osman and Player of the Match and captain Liam Murphy had to say at full-time in our exclusive post match video.
