Match report Ventnor 1st XV 17-45 US Portsmouth 1st XV 23/09/2017

By GH

Match report Ventnor 1st XV 17-45 US Portsmouth 1st XV 23/09/2017

Ventnor’s tough start to the season continued this week with a loss to US Portsmouth.

US Portsmouth scored first and put the homeside under pressure from the off and managed to gain nearly all of their points within the first half of the game. Using both their forwards and backs to cause trouble for the island side.

Ventnor’s only try of the first half came from an interception within their own 22 from Ed Blake, who then ran the length of the pitch to score and give the home side some belief in themselves.

During the break Ventnor seemed to pull themselves together and was a much more improved second half performance. The defence seemed to of been stepped up and the attacking play through the backs after the pack had managed to set a base lead to another try from Man of the Match Ed Blake, closely followed by a try from Sam Lines of which Andy Gough converted to make it up to 17 points. Ventnor pushed for the loosing bonus point by gaining 4 tries but were unsuccessful.

This was a much improved performance from the players and look forward to taking the intensity from the second half to the entire game next week away to Fordingbridge.

AJ Wells & Sons Man of the Match Ed Blake

Ventnor Haven Fishery Cod Eye of the Day Andrew Gough

Thank you to Match Sponsors Whitwell Garage, Ventnor Rotary, Ventnor Haven Fishery, The Crab & Lobster, Perks of Ventnor, Ventnor British Legion, Tommo’s Café and Ron Gisborn. 

Team: Pratt, Tucker, Green, Dawson, Morley, Savill, Jones, Berry, Pickard, Roberts, Gough, Blake, Dobba, Babington, Lines, Urbonas, Edwards, Clarke

Image courtesy Isle of Wight rugby photographer Andrew Cooper Photography