RUGBY UNION: London Division 2 South

Winchester 14, Wimbledon 21

Report by Brian Postlethwaite

AFTER almost achieving the impossible at Nuns Road last Saturday, Winchester had to accept that miracles take a little longer. Having conceded a 16-point lead in the first 20 minutes, the hosts suddenly found the inspiration to take Wimbledon by storm.

Until then all they had to show for their commitment was Dan Kinsey's missed penalty from an awkward angle. But a speculative high kick from Nick Destefano seemed to set the Winchester pack alight; they charged forward and really began to rumble. And an aggressive rolling maul produced a try for Richard Knight.

At 16-5 down heading for the break, the hosts had Wimbledon in their sights. If only Winchester could have started the way they carried on, they would surely have put the complacent opposition to the sword.

Sloppy early lineout work by both sides prevented the game from settling down. The appearance of any kind of shape came from the dominance of the Wimbledon scrummage, which released their strong-running backs.

A penalty from Perkins gave the visitors the lead, and seven minutes later Payne found the Winchester defence absent without leave as his angled run made it 8-nil.

Sticking to the task admirably, however, the hosts gradually clawed their way back into it through sheer cussedness.

Perhaps they would have done even better had their touch kicks been more accurate.

Downe made them pay for that as he found ample space to race clear for another try. A Perkins penalty soon gave Wimbledon an apparently unassailable lead.

But Winchester had other ideas, and captain Richard Knight's try sounded the reveille for backs and forwards alike.

In the second half the hosts turned the match on its head, their pack as dominant in the scrummage as Wimbledon's had been. Rolf Stratford, half-time substitute for the injured Adam Bainbridge, needed no second invitation to get stuck in.

Wimbledon were rattled and their defence constantly stretched to the limit as penalties were strewn around like confetti at a wedding.

Three times Kinsey made them pay, reducing the visitors' lead to 16-14. He narrowly missed a fourth attempt, and Martin Livesey missed another from longer range.

One bulldozing run from Stratford rolled back the years as effectively as Winchester now seemed certain to pull back the game... and then it happened. And somehow you know it's not going to be your day when it does. A diabolical late tackle on Winchester full back Dan Waddington went unpunished.

And as Wimbledon thanked their lucky stars, the hosts were once again left to curse as a breakaway try from number eight Bishop allowed Wimbledon to put up the shutters. Even in that they nearly failed.

"We forced ourselves into playing catch-up," said Winchester's head coach, Mike Marchant. "It's ironic that our second half play was better than our first. But I've been pleased with our determination of late, both on the pitch and in training. Today was a bit like playing Scrabble without the benefit of double and triple word scores. Anyway, there are enough games to go and we know what we must do."

Winchester: Waddington, Gilpin, Ashwin, Kinsey, Ravenhill, Livesey, Destefano, Morton, Millar, Mort (S Moreton 65), Hayes, Ettinger, Bainbridge (Stratford 40), Knight, Pervin.

Winchester travel to Richmond tomorrow (31st) for another league encounter, kick-off 2.15pm.