Match Report written by David Vaughan

After the last two weeks below par performances against Lowestoft and Yarmouth and Old Cooperians, this Wold display showed great grit, skill, and deserved more then the losing bonus point brought back from freezing cold Dagenham.
On chances created alone Wold were the better side and even the May and Baker lads knew they were lucky to take the five points as was confirmed in the after match discussions in the warmth of the bar.
Having said that, this was a great game from two evenly matched sides who both wanted the win and when May and Baker kicked for the corner from the first penalty on the Wold twenty two after just 7minutes instead of going for the three points it always promised to be an open and free flowing game. The lineout that followed the penalty saw good ball for M and B but Wold made tackle after tackle and kept them out eventually turning over the ball and clearing well with a great line kick from Hume at fly half.
Five minutes later M and B did take three points this time from right in front of the posts following an offence in a maul.
Both teams smashed into each other for the next thirty minutes and several injuries resulted for both sides with several inevitable stoppages, and despite James Barton coming within a whisker of scoring twice for Wold, a slick inside pass on the forty five minute mark saw the M and B backs score to the left of the posts and the conversion made it a ten point lead.
It seemed the first half was never going to end and even after the crowd had gone back to the bar to warm up, thinking the half was over, M and B scored another try when a missed tackle lead to a runaway score with fifty six minutes on the clock and a good kick in the strong wind meant a 17 - 0 lead to the home side at half time, which did seem flattering given the possession enjoyed by Wold and the chances Wold had created but not finished off
The second half however saw all that change and Wold dominate, with Des Brett smashing his way through round the back of a Wold and diving bravely for a fingertip try after only three minutes but the kick was missed.
M and B were rattled and started to make mistakes not seen in the first half, and with the usual front row dominance of Aldous, Hall and Brett gaining good ball from every scrum they pressed and pressed and slowly wore M and B down until scoring again in the 65th minute when Rob Owles at nine bundled over after a great Wold driving maul and with the conversion good this time the lead was reduced to five points a
17 - 12.
The onslaught continued with Wold winning more and more ball and a great move only five minutes later saw the ball move through Wold hands right across the pitch twice and when Paul Ellwood at second row passed to an unmaked James Hall on the left wing a try looked inevitable but the ball was knocked forward to the gasps from the home crowd and dismay of the travelling support.
M and B hung on and stopped the flow of possession when a strange shoulder injury to the tight head meant the scrums went uncontested for the last ten minutes and despite coming close twice more. Wold just could not get over the line to even the scores and it has to be said M and B just, and only just, hung on for the narrow win

Wold had been unlucky but had showed great positivity and can go forward in the knowledge they had pushed one of the stronger sides in the league to their limits and more games like this one will certainly ensure they keep their place in London NE Three for next season.

Arn The Wold !!

MOM Jonny Clarke