Relegation-threatened Maidenhead running out of time after heavy defeat at Worthing

Photo credit: Paul Morgan

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Maidenhead are running out of games to save themselves from automatic relegation after going down to a heavy and one-sided 50-12 defeat at Worthing on Saturday.

This was a game Maidenhead really needed to win if they are to give themselves some impetus as they look to finish outside of the bottom two in the Regional 1 South Central Division.

Head coach David Mobbs-Smith promised that his side would go on the offensive at Worthing, chasing four tries that would have earned them a bonus point even in defeat.

Having beaten Worthing 41-38 at Braywick Park earlier in the season, another exciting and competitive game was anticipated between the sides on Saturday, however, Maids failed to bring their A game on this occasion.

Having battled well and deserved more from their recent 25-34 home defeat to second placed London Scottish Lions, Maids travelled to the south coast in relatively buoyant mood - despite their lowly position in the table.

But they were overrun in the first half, conceding four tries without reply to come in at the interval 24-0 down.

Sam Myles bookended that set of scores, touching down in the second minute and 23rd minute, with Jared Penfold and Joshua Taylor going over in between times to ensure Maids were steamrollered in the first 25 minutes. A yellow card for Maids Oliver Spence hardly helped matters, but Mobbs-Smith’s men managed to get back in for half-time without conceding any more points.

They responded reasonably well in the early moments of the second half, with Max Thomas going over to give the visitors hope and Joshua Moscardini slotting over the conversion. However, Worthing scored four more tries between the 53rd and 78th minutes to re-assert their dominance and control. Luke Gill, Jake Lake, Joel Andrews and Daniel Wallis Downham all went over for the hosts before Maids rolled over for a second try of the afternoon - the scantest of consolations. With the conversion missed by Moscardini, the final score was 50-12 to Worthing and it leaves Maids hopes of survival looking desperately bleak.

Aside from Wimbledon, however, their rivals didn’t fully capitalise on this heavy defeat.

Wimbledon got the better of CS Stags 37-32, a magnificent home win which effectively ends their fears of finishing in the bottom two. They now have a 10-point lead over Maids with four matches to play.

Maids other two rivals to beat the drop, Camberley and Hammersmith & Fulham, were both beaten on Saturday. but both picked up one bonus point in the process.

Camberley were beaten 38-29 by Bracknell at home while bottom club Hammersmith came as close as anyone this season to breaking leaders Jersey’s 100 per cent record. They flew over to Jersey and restricted them to a 28-21 win. That point moves Hammersmith to within two points of Maids at the bottom of the table and their last two results, a 64-23 win over Camberley and this impressive display at Jersey would suggest they now have the firepower to get out of the bottom two.

The teams finishing ninth and 10th won’t be safe from relegation, but they will have a stay of execution, and the safety net of one or two relegation play-off matches to get out of trouble.

Maids do look in trouble with four matches to play, however, three of those are at Braywick Park where they’ve collected three of their four victories this season.

They host Farnham on Saturday (March 7) and Tunbridge Wells on March 21. They go to Old Alleynians on March 28 before finishing off at home to CS Stags on April 11. All those sides are in the top half of the table, barring seventh placed Farnham so Saturday’s clash really does feel like a do or die one.