DESPITE LOSING BY A LARGE MARGIN CHALTON'S PERFORMANCE DESERVES A MENTION THIS WEEK.
WE WENT TO PORTSMOUTH WITH 13 PLAYERS, MISSING 8 KEY MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. PORTSMOUTH GENEROUSLY VOLUNTEERED US TWO PLAYERS TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS.
THE SCORE IN THE END WAS 60-19, HOWEVER THE MAIN THING TO COME OUT OF THE GAME WAS THE ATTITUDE OF OUR PLAYERS WHO KNEW THEY WERE DEPLETED IN STRENGTH BUT KEPT THEIR HEADS UP AND PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO CONTESTING THE GAME.
CHALTON WERE EQUAL TO PORTSMOUTH IN THE SCRUM AND CONTESTED THE RUCKS AND MAULS REALLY WELL AND THE LINEOUTS WERE SPOT ON. THE WHOLE TEAM STEPPED UP AGAINST A WELL ORGANISED PORTSMOUTH SQUAD WHO USED THEIR BACKS DOWN THE WINGS TO GREAT EFFECT AND WERE STOPPED FROM SCORING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE PITCH.
SEVERAL PLAYERS NEED TO BE MENTIONED - FIRSTLY THE TRY SCORERS GEORGE RINGLAND AND AIADEN TAYLOR IN THE FIRST HALF AND BOTH CONVERTED BY HAYDEN THORN AND HARVEY WILSON IN THE DYING SECONDS OF THE SECOND HALF. MARCUS WHALE AND HAYDEN THORN BOTH PLAYED LIKE THEY WERE POSSESSED COVERING SO MUCH GROUND AND WITH THE REST OF THE PLAYERS PUTTING IN A STERLING PERFORMANCE THEY MADE THE COACHES AND PARENTS VERY PROUD.
MAN OF THE MATCH WAS BEN MARTINEZ.