Blaydon RFC vs Ealing Trailfinders

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders recorded their first ever win away to Blaydon when they ran in five tries to ensure they would begin 2015 by collecting all five points on offer.

Andy Reay scored twice, Arthur Ellis grabbed his 14th try of the season, Luke Daniels ran in his first for the club and Sam Wardingley added a fifth just before the final whistle to keep Ealing Trailfinders top of National 1.

Ealing Trailfinders began on the attack, but despite setting up try-scoring positions with a rolling maul from a catch and drive Blaydon’s defence held out.

When the hosts went on the attack they were able to enjoy 20 minutes of dominance, but despite enjoying the upper hand in the scrum they were unable to break through when Reay and Jamie Kilbane teamed up in defence to stop their number 8 Gavin Jones from picking up.

Ealing Trailfinders captain Tom Brown found space to race into the Blaydon defence and it signalled an increase in intensity from the visitors and soon after they opened the scoring when Reay slalomed his way to the line.

Brown was leading by example and was ably helped out by the Jones twins Carwyn and Llewelyn, with all three working hard at the breakdown and with the ball in hand.

The forwards efforts were rewarded when Ellis picked a line of Ben Ward to score next to the posts and the pack continued their strong showing as the half drew to a close when Nathan Buck was stopped short of the line.

Ealing Trailfinders began on top when the second half began and a Llewelyn Jones charge through the Blaydon defence set the tone.

Nonetheless Blaydon showed that they could strike if they had the chance and Tom Grimes and Tom Bramwell teamed up to break away before a Phil Chesters tackle on Joe Heslop stopped the move.

Soon after Reay scored his second after Daniels and Chris Kinloch broke away and while Chris Wearmouth pulled a try back from a catch and drive rolling maul Daniels used his pace to break clear down the right wing to score his first try in Ealing Trailfinders colours.

As the final whistle drew near Blaydon tried to hit back through their lineout, but good work from second rows Michael Walker-Fitton and Paul Spivey snuffed out the danger.

Then with their last attack Ealing Trailfinders added to their score when Reay broke clear and rather than try and beat the fullback for his hattrick, put Wardingley in space to put the sheen on a well-merited victory.

Blaydon
Rhodri Adamson, Joe Heslop, Tom Grimes, Toby Bain, Tom Bramwell, Andy Braggett, Nathan Horsfall; Robert Kalbraier, Matt Hall, Andy Foster, Chris Wearmouth, Shaun English, Keith Laughlin (captain), Jason Smithson, Gavin Jones
Reserves
Robert Morris, Francis Entressengle, Thomas Gailland, Tom Small, Phil Stewart

Ealing Trailfinders
Will Harries, Chris Kinloch, Sam Wardingley, Andy Reay, Phil Chesters, Ben Ward, Alex Walker; Jamie Kilbane, Andrei Radoi, Nathan Buck, Carwyn Jones, Mike Walker-Fitton, Llewelyn Jones, Arthur Ellis, Tom Brown (captain)
Reserves
Karl Gibson, Will Davis, Paul Spivey, Anders Nilsson, Luke Daniels

Scorers
Blaydon
Tries (Wearmouth 56)
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Reay 23, 53, Ellis 36, Daniels 58, Wardingley 76), Conversions (Ward 37, 54, 77)

Referee – Andrew Rawson