Westcombe Park 26 - Wimbledon 18

National League 3 (London & S.East)

Westcombe Park 26 – 18 Wimbledon

When Wimbledon took an 18-11 lead fifteen minutes into the second half, playing with the strong wind and full of confidence, it looked as though 3rd placed Westcombe Park were heading for a rare defeat this season. But a series of penalties against Dons and a few silly errors let the home team back in during the last quarter. First, offside in the backs gave Park’s no.10 Cameron an opportunity for three points, which he took well. Then their wing Penny squeezed through Dons’ normally watertight defence to touch down into the corner and Cameron added the two points.
Keeping possession through phase after phase during the last ten minutes Dons hardly saw the ball and in the final minute gave away yet another penalty; Park kicked for touch, won the lineout and the pack drove over for a try. Cameron’s conversion denied Wimbledon even a losing bonus point.

Wimbledon should have opened the scoring two minutes from kick-off after a 30m drive by the pack, but Park’s defence held. As it was, Park scored first when Penny made the most of a simple overlap to score in the corner. The charge at the conversion kick by Tommy Moore almost certainly saved two points. But Park’s Cameron didn’t miss with his next two penalty kicks, the second of which, very dubiously, also cost Dons’ captain Neil Hallett a yellow card, and they were 11-0 and one man down.

Dons came straight back though, winning a penalty from the re-start, then a lineout – with a good take by Dylan Flashman, and the pack bulldozed over for Steve May to touch down and they went into half time just 11-5 down.

The score changed to 11-8 after just three minutes of the second half, when Hallett mastered the wind to grab three points. Then minutes later he did it again, this time from wide out on the 10m line. Soon after, flanker Roy Godfrey turned over a ruck, the ball went down the line fast and centre Noah Jarvis outsprinted the defence to score a fine try. Despite the strengthening wind Hallett converted from the touchline, to put Dons in the driving seat at 18-11.

Then came the disappointing final ten for Wimbledon. It hadn’t helped their cause to lose their powerful no.8, Mike Hunt, early in the second half and then to see lock Flashman carried off later in the match, but they could and probably should still have won this contest between two entertaining and evenly-matched teams.

It’ll be another close one next week, when Wimbledon take on to Hertford at home, winners at their own ground early in the season.