Southend 15, Winchester 10

LEAGUE leaders Southend scored a late try in a match littered with cards to condemn Winchester to their third defeat of the season at Warners Bridge Park last Saturday.

The Hampshire side have come on leaps and bounds this season but will need luck to favour them in tight matches such as this if they are to progress into contention for the league title.

There was plenty of controversy in a game that developed into a cracking contest. It was a real battle between two well-matched sides, and had both sets of fans doing their fair share of nail biting.

The controversy came with the referee dishing out five yellow and two red cards. Three times the home side watched a player trudge dejectedly to serve his time in the sin-bin, and Winchester suffered the same fate twice. At some points it seemed as though the binned players were taking part in a farcical relay race.

The red cards appeared at the end of the game when an apparent head butt from Southend's winger on No 8 Richard Fraser provoked a sharp open handed punch from the Winchester player.

It was unfortunate that the subsequent reversal of the penalty, presumably for retaliation, meant Winchester lost the position and momentum that was threatening to win the match in the dying moments.

The game was neither ill-tempered nor beset by negative play, and the cards, some being a mystery to me, just served to fragment the match and incense the crowd.

Winchester didn't play badly; in fact the scrummage was magnificent, driving their opponents off the ball again and again. In the loose they battled well and ball was secure, and Fraser and Nick Miller were rarely troubled in the line out.

There was plenty of possession but Southend closed down the Winchester back line, who lacked the fizz of last week, very quickly and fly half Andy Ashwin had an uphill battle to provide any space or time for the excellent Rob West at inside centre.

On one occasion in the first half Winchester looked as if they had scored but Ashwin's scoop off the floor to Nick Destefano was adjudged to be forward and the try was ruled out. Ashwin and Southend full-back then Ali Chambers swapped penalties and at half-time the score was 3 - 3.

With the forwards the dominant force, Winchester battered away at their hosts and Southend can take credit from refusing to let the Hampshire side cross.

The hosts then took the lead with a try coming from a sharp blindside move, and it took a flash of brilliance from impressive scrum half Destefano to turn the game back in Winchester's favour.

After the forwards had driven close to the line he shaped to shift the ball on the blind side before suddenly darting through the gap created by his clever feint.

Ashwin held his nerve to land the tricky conversion and give Winchester a 10 - 8 advantage. However, with time running out, another yellow card for the visitors saw Southend score out wide using their extra man and cling on for the win.

Team captain, Richard Knight, was upbeat after the game. "We battled well and it could have gone either way," he said. "We look forward to the return game where we can set the record straight."

Winchester: Stooksbury, Jones, Banks, West, Ryan (Smith), Ashwin, Destefano, Dorling, Taylor (Millar), Mort, Ettinger, Showell, Miller, Fraser, Knight. Sub not used: Jacobs.

Tomorrow (Saturday 12th) Winchester entertain Norwich at Nuns Road (3pm).