Date

8^th March 2008

Opposition

Isle of Wight

Venue

Away

Result

Won 15 – 3

Match Report

KMB Property Development sponsored Aldershot & Fleet are finding them struck with numerous injuries at the moment and were only able to field a bare minimum squad of 15 players for their away trip to the Isle of Wight. The squad included retired player and now assistant coach Darren Waters who played a fantastic game at back row and was exceptionally powerful around the park.

In terrible wind and rain the visitors had to play against the conditions in the first half and put on a tremendous defensive display to stop the home side from scoring, however they did manage to knock up a few points of their own courtesy of a push over try by the forwards, finished off by Jon Green and a penalty from the regular scoring Chris Bird.

With the conditions it was always going to be a forwards game and A&F showed their forward dominance in all aspects of the game, winning the majority of the line outs and being able to secure the majority of the scrums.

In the absence of the usual captain, Paul Malcolm stepped up to the mark and took the role of captain and played a fantastic performance that was enough to win him the Man of the Match award leading the forwards and the squad to a fantastic win.

The backs saw very little of the ball, but when they did they ran strong and carried well, especially Neil Reynolds who was playing out of position but played well, Stephen Love also played well and nearly crossed the line after a mazy run that left him inches short.

The home side hit back with a very well struck drop goal, from their man of the match and captain Dan Taylor, to tighten the match but this was the closest they got to scoring.

It was Jon Green who crossed the line and added to his try tally for the season, taking him to a clear favourite for the club’s top try scorer award. Aldershot & Fleet’s & Green’s second came from a good clearance kick from Bird that the defence were unable to clear and the resultant scrum saw another push over try and Green dropping on the ball to score, Bird easily converted to take the score to 15 – 3.

Having been struggling for a squad all week to travel away to the Isle of Wight and come back with a win was a fantastic result and the coaching team were exceptionally happy with the result and are now preparing for the 2008 – 2009 season.

Date

23^rd February 2008

Opposition

Alresford

Venue

Home

Result

Won 34 – 17

Match Report

Hartley Contractor sponsored Aldershot & Fleet played Alresford at home for the Brian Lacey Memorial Bowl this weekend, the clubs are steeped with history and links and this game is always an amazing occasion that produces some fantastic rugby and a great social atmosphere.

Aldershot & Fleet had the much better start to the match stretching out a 12 – 0 lead through 2 great teams tries through Alex Collier and Stephen Love (1 conversion by Love).

Alresford then did their usual in these games and hit back with two tries of their own, both great individual efforts, one from the wing and one from the centre that levelled the scores at the break.

The second half saw a different approach to the game from the home side as the team was working well together and linked well for an additional 4 tries. Throughout the team there was some great performances including Man of the Match and debutant Lawrence and second Man of the Match Simon Christopher, who also crossed the line for one of the second half tries.

Aldershot & Fleet had a second debutant in this game who was Ed, played on the wing and played extremely well for his first start for the club.

The forward pack again showed dominance of the set pieces and were linking up well with the back line as the team was able to move forward and keep the opposition on the back foot.

Alex Collier scored a second try (A&F’s 4^th) before the visitors struck back with a try of their own. Stephen Love played a part in the last two tries with one of his own and he had made the break from quick ball won by the forwards and Stephen Jeatt and had gone almost to the try line before being stopped, Martin Booth was on hand to finish off the move and score Aldershot & Fleet’s final try, he then slotted the conversion to make the final score at 34 – 17.

Aldershot & Fleet retain the Brian Lacey Memorial Bowl for another year, until the teams next meet.

A&F are back in league action next weekend (1^st March) at Home to high flying Romsey and A&F will be looking for revenge.

Date

16^th Feb 2008

Opposition

Ellingham & Ringwood 2

Venue

Away

Result

Win 43 – 29

Match Report

Aldershot & Fleet second XV took a trip down to the New Forest to play Ellingham & Ringwood’s second team in a merit fixture. aldershot & Fleet fielded 5 new players and had a further 4 returning from long term absence or injuries.

Despite A&F scoring first through Stephen Love it was the home side that had the best of the 1^st half. A second try through Martin Booth was all that the visitors managed in the first half and trailed by 24 – 12 at the interval.

It was the second half that saw the difference in the match with 5 tries from the travelling team, including another try by Love, 1 by Lynch Bowers, a further 2 to secure a hat trick from Booth and one from Jim on his debut for the club. The home side did manage to score 1 try of their own early in the second half to keep the contest going.

Aldershot & Fleet, played in their Blue KMB Property Development away kit and despite having a number of new and returning players the team played in a relaxed manner and worked well as a team, Man of the Match was Lyndon “Taff” Garland who had a fantastic game both in defence and going forward with ball in hand.

The team combined really well at times and showed a good flair and enthusiasm and linked well for a number of the scores, especially Lynch Bowers, Jim’s and Booth’s second.

Scott Barr captained the side with control and excellent decision making and was backed up by Paul Malcolm who was leading the pack forward.

A&F have a squad fixture at home next week against Alresford.

Date

9^th February 2008

Opposition

Millbrook

Venue

Home

Result

Win 11 – 8

Match Report

Telectronics sponsored Aldershot & Fleet secured their position in 3^rd place in Hampshire 2 with their fourth win from 4 games in 2008. Beating 4^th place Millbrook at home, who had travelled with confidence after winning the first meeting of the teams this season was a superb result and just what the coach had asked from his side.

 
Aldershot & Fleet started strongly with the sun on their backs and got off to a good start when strong scrimmaging and evasive running led to a penalty taken by Chris Bird. Within five minutes A&F were able to extend their lead when Carl Battersby kicked through and chased his own kick with support from his Captain Martin Booth, they were able to exert pressure on Millbrook’s fullback and the home side were elected a penalty, which Bird converted as a Millbrook player walked to the sin bin.

 
Despite having the majority of the ball and the forwards, especially man of the match Ed Le Brun who was working superbly in the loose play and very well in the line outs, and Jon Green who was dominant in defence and his strong running, the home side were unable to convert pressure to points and it was the visitors who scored next to narrow the gap, through a try coming about from constant pressure.

 
With a 1 point gap at half time, A&F needed a good second half to win the match and their performance was even to secure the win, despite going further behind from a penalty to the home side. Once again the forwards were dominant in all areas of the match and provided good ball for the backs, who made some very good breaks especially through Martin Booth, Carl Battersby and one excellent break from Alex Collier, who broke through and then hacked on to score in the corner that made the final score 11 – 8.

 
A&F have a 2 week break from league action now before they return to face Romsey at home on the 1^st March.

Date

26^th January

Opposition

Ventnor

Venue

Away

Result

Win 12 – 0

Match Report

Travelling away to the Isle of Wight, playing any opposition and coming away with a win is near an easy task but Aldershot & Fleet, sponsored by KMB Property Development, secured another win and their second league win of 2008 with a 12 – 0 victory against Ventnor.

The match started at a high tempo and Ventnor made the first break within minutes and were only denied by a last ditch tackle from full back Martin Booth, this was a very early scare for the visitors but they soon retaliated in style with a try under the posts from Stephen “Cindy” Love. The home side tried to clear a 22 drop out and this was fielded by Russell Deacon who slipped the ball to Love who side stepped the opposition fly half and then out paced the full back for the try, with a successful conversion from Chris Bird took the game to 7 – 0.

The second half was a much better performance for the visitors who started dominating the line outs and showing their strength in the scrums even with one man in the sin bin. Paul Lynch Bowers (Asterix) was awarded the Man of the Match award and was part of an extremely dominant and effective pack who won a lot of ball and also stole a lot of ball from the opposition.

The home side showed some excellent attacking chances and required A&F defence to work really hard to keep the clean sheet but the forwards stopped a number of attacks and the backs had to make some strong tackles to deny the home team. Scott Barr, Chris Tebbett and Steve Jeatt were especially strong in defence for the backs and helped from David Oxford and Neil Reynolds in the forwards.

A&F’s second try also came from Stephen Love who tool the quick tap from Chris Bird in his own 22 beat the first defender and then sprinted the full length of the pitch, fighting off a number of tackles on the way including 2 tacklers on the try line to force his way other for his and A&F’s second of the game.

This was a great win that keeps Aldershot & Fleet in the top half of the table and still in contention for a promotion slot. They have a break from league action next week, but return to their hone ground of Aldershot Park on the 9^th February to play Millbrook.

Date

19^th January

Opposition

Lytchett Minster

Venue

Away

Result

Won 11 - 8

Match Report

Telectronics sponsored Aldershot & Fleet got their second win in two games in the league for 2008. In what was a very scrappy stop start game with more scrums than most would care to remember it was the visiting side came out on top in a low scoring close match.

Playing with the wind and the slope in the first half A&F got off to a great start with a penalty within the first 5 minutes scored by Stephen Love. There was not much action in the match as the conditions and playing style of both sides meant that the referee was required to call numerous scrums throughout the game that broke down momentum for either team and never really let the game flow.

Aldershot & Fleet increased their lead when Lytchett Minster kicked through and A&F ran an effective counter attack where Chris Tebbett took the ball drew his defender and offloaded to Martin Booth to beat the last defender and score the try. Depsite numerous solid runs from players like Paul Lynch Bowers and man of the match Paul Malcolm the visiting side were unable to extend their lead.

Lytchett Minster hit back after the break with a try of their own to close the gap to 3 points.

The A&F pack were dominant in all the scrums that were played and must have won at least three quarters of them regardless of whose put in, A&F were also solid in their own line out and disruptive in the oppositions with Ed Le Brun stealing a number of the Lytchett throws.

A&F played the more positive rugby and had further chances to score but were unable to complete the final pass which led to further frustrations and more scrums.

The team were unhappy with the performance but happy with the win and are now looking forward to travelling away to Ventnor next week.

Date

15^th December

Opposition

Chineham

Venue

Away

Result

Won 24 - 0

Match Report

Aldershot and Fleet finished the year in perfect style with a league victory over Chineham away from home that will put them in a strong fourth position in Hampshire 2.

Hartley Contractor sponsored Aldershot & Fleet nearly got off to the perfect start on two occasions within 5 minutes, firstly straight from the kick off that was fielded by Jon Green and then the kick was chased hard by Stephen Love & Martin Booth who nearly scored the try and forced a weak clearance.

It was from the line out that Aldershot & Fleet tore open the Chineham defence and enabled Booth to cross the line only for the try to be disallowed, a decision that confused and baffled both sides.

Chineham then had a chance to score but due to the difficulty both teams found in kicking the ball missed the penalty opportunity. A&F were the first team to put points on the board when Alex Collier added to his try tally for the season and scored in the corner.

No further points were added in the first half, but it was the second half that A&F secured the win, firstly from the kick off again, A&F ran forward using the entire squad and substitute William Oxford crashed over to score the try.

Aldershot & Fleet were dominant in all areas of the park and the backs were able to beat the opposition at will and Man of the Match Steve Jeatt made some elusive runs and some very hard hitting tackles, however it was the forwards that scored the tries firstly from superior dominance in the scrum, which was even more impressive after a Chineham player saw a yellow card for a professional foul. This led to a number of scrums that the hosts couldn’t handle and finally buckled to give the ref no choice but to award a penalty try and then David Oxford joined his brother on the score sheet after another flowing passage of play that saw the ball pass through many sets of hands and Jon Green gave the final pass to allow Oxford to score. 2 conversions from Bird left the final score at 24 – 0 and secured another 2 important league points.

A&F now rest until the New Year when they face Nomads at home in the league on the 5^th January.

Date

1^st December 07

Opposition

Eastleigh

Venue

Home

Result

Lost 7 – 17

Match Report

Aldershot & Fleet lost a hard fought match this weekend at home to table toppers Eastleigh. The side sponsored KMB Property development faced their first home defeat of the season losing 7 – 17.

The visitors had a very quick and strong start and had taken a 17 point lead within 15 minutes of the game.

Once Aldershot & Fleet woke up and started playing the game was a very close and physical contest and was always going to be a tight encounter. Bad weather had meant the pitch was damp in places to say the least and meant conditions under foot and in hand were always difficult.

The game was dominated by the forwards and very little ball came out to the backs. Both sides had solid defences which meant that there was very little penetration from either side and neither side got a chance any free running or handling skills.

Aldershot & Fleet scored through a quick tap penalty taken by Martin Booth, a quick offload to Stephen Love who drew the last defender and gave the final pass to Alex Collier who was able to run in untouched for the try in the corner. The conversion made the score 7 – 17.

No further points were added by either side. Duncan Coombes was nominated man of the match for his outstanding effort and constant work rate around the park.

Aldershot & Fleet have a break from league action this weekend however they have a local derby game in the Cup against Farnborough at home. 

Date

24^th November

Opposition

Nomads

Venue

Away

Result

Won 30 – 23

Match Report

Aldershot and Fleet continued their strong league performance with their third consecutive league win in a hard fought game away to Nomads.

The match started in the same fashion as many of their previous games with the opposition having the first opportunity to score through a penalty, which they took – A&F then hit back and kept the lead through to the end of the match to secure the win.

Aldershot & Fleet’s first try came soon after Chris Bird had slotted his first penalty of the match. The try came from a penalty that was kicked into the corner for the line out which was secured and Paul Malcolm, who works for sponsors Teletronics, and the forward pack drove over and allowed Malcolm to touch down for his first try of the season.

Aldershot & Fleet were dominant in all aspects of the match but the home side never let the visitors pull away with the lead some very strong running from all over the squad including Captain Martin Booth, Jon Green, Paul Lynch Bowers and man of the match Alex Collier helped set up a total of 4 tries from Aldershot & Fleet.

Chris Bird extended the lead through a penalty to 13 – 3 before the home side struck back with a converted try to leave the gap at 3 points at the break.

The home side won the second half by 3 points but it wasn’t enough to win the match as A&F scored a further three tries in the second half through Alex Collier, Jimmy Roko and Chris Tebbett also touching down with one conversion from Chris Bird took the visitors score to 30 points.

A late interception try and a number of penalties from the home side saw them almost catch up and it was only the effort of full back Martin Booth who made a try saving tackle in the last play of the game to stop Nomad’s winger who would have definitely scored if the tackle had not been made and levelled the game. Whereas the final score was 30 – 23 to Aldershot & Fleet.

A&F were happy with their victory and will need to take this confidence and performance onto a key league game next weekend at home to league leaders Eastleigh.

Date

17^th November

Opposition

Phoenix 3

Venue

Home

Result

Win 55 - 3

Match Report

A strong team start and then great individual performances were all the Aldershot & Fleet Rugby Club needed to see off the visiting Phoenix 3.

Hartley Contractors sponsor Aldershot & Fleet who have a fantastic record in games at Aldershot Park having won the last 4 games at home.

Despite the visiting side having the first opportunity to score through a penalty, the result seemed in no doubt after about 20 minutes when A&F had run in 3 tries in quick succession.

Aldershot & Fleet showed excellent team work in patches of this match but were not the polished team that they have been in the past and at times were relying on the individual ability of players such as Stephen Love, Jon Green & Alex Collier to create space but unfortunately the support wasn’t able to keep up to finish off the moves.

At times the home side were playing well as a team and this showed for a number of the tries that showed the majority of the team linking up well and enabled Phil York to score 2 early tries, as well as Alex Collier getting 2 and Chris Tebbett scoring 1. Other individual tries came from Ed Le Brun, Jon Green, Wardy and Stephen Love was able to pick up a loose ball and score a try as well as converted 5 kicks.

Duncan Coombes also put in a solid performance in the second row with a number of good runs and strong scrimmage skills.

The final score was 55 – 3, with the visiting team slotting 1 out of 3 penalties but they never gave up and kept on attacking and trying at all times. Aldershot & Fleet will take lots of positives from this victory and will be able to take this into their league match next week against Nomads as they look to continue their strong recent performances and will be looking for another win.

Date

10^th November

Opposition

Lytchett Minster

Venue

Home

Result

Win 15 - 3

Match Report

Two tries from Man of the Match Stephen Love and two kicks from Chris Bird were enough to see Aldershot & Fleet to another win in the league.

Aldershot & Fleet Rugby Club, sponsored by KMB Property Development, struggled their way through a scrappy match at home to Lytchett Minster.

Despite an early opportunity for points the visitors missed 2 kicks before A&F were able to turn their territory and possession into points, through a fantastic break from Stephen Love who took the ball from the scrum half and then sped his way to the corner to score his first try of the season.

A&F were not playing at the same level as they were last week and did not put up the performance that the coach had hoped for, but were still strong enough to control the game despite a valiant effort from the visitors who were only able to score 3 points although they were held up over the line on 2 occasions.

Chris Bird increased the home side’s lead through a penalty in the first half.

The second half saw the visitors use the sun and try to force errors by kicking lots of balls to A&F back 3 who were up for the challenge. It was through the backs and Stephen Love that A&F got their second try and secured victory when a planned backs move was changed as the opposition defence opened up a huge space in front of Love who was able to stroll over and score, the try was converted by Chris Bird.

A&F were the deserved winning team in a match that saw 1 player from each team sent to the sin bin and the credit must go to the forwards for the number of scrums they had to pack down and kept their control and dominance in the set pieces.

Despite the win, Club Captain Martin Booth knows that the team needs to improve to ensure they win more games in the league this season.

Date

3^rd November

Opposition

Ventnor

Venue

Home

Result

Win 54 – 0

Match Report

Aldershot & Fleet Rugby Club, sponsored by Teletronics, got back to winning ways last weekend with a 54 – 0 demolition of Ventnor.

A&F scored a total of 8 tries, 7 of which were converted by Chris Bird, Captain Martin Booth led the try scoring with a Hat Trick, followed by 2 from last season’s top try scorer Jon Green further tries were added by Scott Barr, Neil Reynolds and debutant Alex Collier.

Apart from a couple of close calls by the visitors that nearly led to points it was one way traffic for the home side and the result never seemed in doubt.

Scott Barr opened the scoring for the home side, quickly followed by the try of the season so far finished off by Jon Green.

Starting from a line out possession was secured easily and the backs moved the ball up field. A ruck formed and allowed clean ball to continue the attack which saw forwards and backs linking well and the ball passing through at least 10 sets of hands before a chip over saw Jon Green collect the ball, beat the last defender and score under the posts.

Aldershot & Fleet were dominant in the set pieces with both scrums and line outs working well and this showed for Jon Green’s second try and Neil Reynolds tries, both coming from scrums, one was a push over and the other the ball came loose after a superior drive and Neil “JP” Reynolds dove over to score.

Man of the Match Stephen Jeatt was having a fantastic game and able to create plenty of space for Martin Booth to exploit, it was a break from Jeatt that created space for 2 of Booth’s tries both of which required some free running to enable him to finish the scores under the posts, the second of which saw Booth collect the ball on his own 22 yard line and found the space in the opposition back line and then outpaced the fullback to score.

Alex Collier’s first and Booths’ third both came from kicks through that the defence were unable to deal with and the home players pounced on the ball to score.

Despite being a fairly simple game the home side can take a lot of confidence out of a well disciplined team performance and one that never saw them relax. A&F continue their league campaign at home on the 10^th November to Lytchett Minster.

Coach “Barry Warner” commented that the performance was much better and the improvement in our loose play was great to see.
 

Date

27^th October

Opposition

Millbrook

Venue

Away

Result

Lost 13 – 15

Match Report

KMB Property development sponsored Aldershot & Fleet suffered another narrow defeat away from home this weekend in there Hampshire 2 League campaign to unbeaten side Millbrook.

Despite taking an early lead and being ahead for 75 minutes A&F fell at the final hurdle as the home side scored late to take the game by 2 points.

A&F scored first through a penalty from captain Chris Bird, which was closely followed by a well taken try by Full Back Martin Booth. The try came from dominant forward pressure and a solid scrum that gave the backs clean ball and a well drilled move combined Stephen Love and Martin Booth to score the try, easily converted by Chris Bird.

A&F had some good possession throughout the match and were unlucky on a number of occasions when decisions and bounces of the ball seemed to go against them. Both were required for the home side’s first try, where they appeared to knock on and then managed to charge down the clearance kick, the ball bounced straight into their hands for a simple finish.

A&F were individually the better side, with excellent performances from many players including man of the match Ed Le Brun, however Millbrook were collectively the better side which eventually showed on the score board.

A penalty a piece was the only scoring for the first 35 minutes of the second half and A&F thought that there dominance through the forwards in the set pieces and all round ability in the loose had been enough to secure the victory, however handling errors had allowed the home side to stay in the game and with 5 minutes to go, they were able to set up their centre to power over from close range with the visitors unable to stop them.

The final score at 13 – 15 was heart breaking for Aldershot & Fleet who felt they should have closed the game out earlier and walked away with the win.

Aldershot & Fleet are at home next week to Ventnor as they carry on their league matches.

Date

29^th Sept 2007

Opposition

Romsey

Venue

Away

Result

Lost 13 - 25

Match Report

A&F travelled away to face Romsey in the league but were unable to continue their good start as they lost 13 – 25 in a hard fought but generally well tempered game.

Aldershot & Fleet got off to the perfect start with a penalty by Chris Bird direct from the kick off. Despite having the majority of the possession for the first half the home side managed to score only scored 2 tries and 1 penalty. A&F’s defence was working well and stopped the attack on a number of occasions. On a rare excursion into the home sides 22 A&F increase their score with a converted try.

The try was a well worked team try that passed through a number of players including a great break from Ed Le Brun that was well supported by Paul Lynch Bowers and a wide pass from Martin Booth to skipper Chris Bird who drew the last of the defence and slipped the ball to Jon Green to score the try, Chris Bird then converted.

Further breaks from great runs by Carl Battersby & Stephen Love lead to opportunities that the visitors were unable to finish off, to extend the score.

The second half saw a turning point in the game when the home side’s second row got red carded for a stamping offence, this seemed to boost the home side and they scored a break away try from a turnover and also added a further penalty in the second half.

Despite having an extra man A&F were unable to score any further tries, despite having a number of breaks and opportunities. A&F were able to add just 3 points from a drop goal by Chris Bird.

Despite the loss, the Captain and Coach were extremely happy with the performance although they know that they need to improve in order to continue their onslaught on Hampshire 2 this season.

Date

15^th September 2007

Opposition

Isle of Wight

Venue

Home

Result

Win 18 - 7

Match Report

Aldershot & Fleet 1^st XV got off to the perfect start in their league campaign with a home win against the Isle of Wight. Both sides will be looking for a good season and bidding for promotion and A&F won the first battle of the year with an 18 – 7 victory.

 The new sponsors had been invited for pre match entertainment and to watch the match and were treated to a thrilling game with the side they had sponsored coming out on top.

 Wearing the new kit sponsored by KMB Property Development and in front of some of the major senior sponsors (from Lampsavers & Hartley Contractors) Aldershot & Fleet started the game in strong fashion and seemed to be in control from the start.

The forwards were strong in their scrimmaging and loose play and it was through the pack that the first try was scored, a break from the backs and good strong running form Carl Battersby & Steve Love set up a 5 metre scrum that the forwards drove the opposition off the ball and Jon Green touched down to open the scoring. The try was converted by Chris Bird.

Chris Bird added an additional penalty before the backs scored the second try, Matt Payne created a gap and Martin Booth read his run, collected the pass and was able to out pace the defence to score un touched in the corner.

Back row player Neil “JP” Reynolds was given the Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance all over the field in both attack and defence.

The visitors hit back before half time to make it 15 – 7 at the break. The second half was very low in score but high in action and excitement, A&F looked like they had the potential to score a number of times, but were unlucky and denied the tries, they did increase the score by another penalty from Chris Bird. A&F defence was solid in the 2^nd half and managed to shut out the visiting team to finish the game 18 – 7.

Head Coach Barry Warner said “It was a great start to the season and we got the win we deserved, but there is lots to improve on for our next league match in two weeks time”