Match Report

On a very muddy and wet pitch playing into a strong head wind, conditions neutered the potential threat from the backs and a very pedantic referee ruined any chance of a spectacle for the supporters.
Having lost the toss Sidcup let the deep KO bounce into touch in the 22. With the ball like a bar of soap Sidcup cleanly won the lineout but apparently knocked on at the back of the maul giving the home side an superb attacking platform. Cranbrook s excellent No8 picked from the base of the scrum and drove forward, stopped on the gain line Cranbrook passed to the backs, again no way through the play crabbed to the touch line where the scrum half and winger attacked the ruck's blindside which was absent of guards leaving Sidcup's covering winger exposed to a two on one they worked a try in the corner.
Sidcup managed to turnover the kick off and mounted wave after wave of attack each, unfortunately each time they worked into a promising position a mistake or a refereeing decision halted the momentum and gave Crnbrook's 10 the chance to clear their lines, after 20 minutes Sidcup were dominating the match and it looked like they finally levelled through James Faibrass at the back of a driving maul, but inexplicably the try was disallowed. Cranbrook were again fortunate to be given anther chance to clear the trenches. Sidcup came straight back utilising both the forwards and backs driving straight up the middle of he park, with the defence realising they did not have to worry about the off side line they pressed, scrum half Josh Cryan showed the dummy pass, stepped into the gap and dived over the try line by the posts. The first half finished 5 each.

During the break the conditions turned worse sheet rain hammering down making it a game of attrition with neither side dominating. As the first half Sidcup looked the most likely to make the break through, until Hills was given a straight red card for petulantly kicking out at a player who was preventing him getting to the next ruck. This boosted Cranbrook who from the resulting penalty kicked into Sidcup's 22, with the line out secured Cranbrooks 8 broke through a couple of tackles being stopped just before the try line, again the ball went blind and Cranbrooks winger scrambled over in the corner. With less than 10 minutes to go it didn't look good for Sidcup, until Josh Cryan and Arby both put in text book tackles forcing another turnover, Sidcup again drove up the middle of the pitch winning a penalty 5 meters out in front of the sticks, thinking quickly Josh moved the ball left not giving time for the cover to get across and popped to Arby who fittingly smashed over the line to equalise and see Sidcup through to a home semi final against Medway.