Superb Raiders win at home to Coventry

WORTHING Raiders Rugby Club picked up their second National 1 win of the season with a excellent 39-12 win at home to high-flying Coventry on Saturday.
Joe Govett kicked three conversions and two penalties against CoventryJoe Govett kicked three conversions and two penalties against Coventry
Joe Govett kicked three conversions and two penalties against Coventry

Raiders took five points from the game against a Coventry side who started fourth in the table.

Things did not start well for Worthing as Coventry touched down the opening try after just 39 seconds. Raiders lost possession near the halfway line and Ian Clark skipped past a couple of challenges before touching down and Clifford Hodgson added the extras.

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Worthing responded well and levelled the score on eight minutes. Coventry were pressing for a second try but Raiders’ defence held firm and Ollie Richards intercepted a pass and ran from his own 22 to touch down, with Joe Govett converting.

Raiders went ahead six minutes later when the ball was worked from left to right and Richards just about managed to get the ball out to Ben Loosmore, who went over in the corner to make it 12-7.

Raiders had Dan Sargent sinbinned on 19 minutes and Coventry drew level when Mark Kohler went over three minutes later.

Govett kicked over two penalties while Raiders were a man down to give the hosts a 18-12 lead, before Richards got his second, with Worthing back up to 15 men, on 34 minutes.

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Govett’s conversion gave Worthing a 25-12 lead and that was the way things stayed until half-time, despite Raiders finishing the half with 14 men as Alex Nielsen was yellow-carded and Coventry applying a lot of pressure near the Worthing line.

Coventry had Kohler sinbinned early in the second half but the visitors camped themselves in Worthing’s half for a length of time in the second period but Worthing’s defence brilliantly kept out all Coventry threw at them.

The visitors’ Thomas Poole was yellow-carded with nine minutes to go and Raiders touched down the four-try bonus point a minute later when Sargent found a gap to burst through and dive over. Govett’s conversion gave Worthing a 32-12 lead.

Raiders had Scott Barlow and Govett sinbinned in the closing stages, before Richards intercepted another pass to again run from his own 22 to complete his hat-trick and debutant Ed Kittow kicked the conversion.

Full report, reaction from Kieron Dawson, Charlie McGowan and Ollie Richards, match pictures and Matt Farnes’ weekly column in the November 7 edition of the Worthing Herald.

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