Dover has not been a happy hunting ground for the Black & Whites in recent times. However, on a hard pitch on Saturday with dry conditions all the demons were laid to rest in emphatic style. Sutton’s 63-0 win was not only a League best away winning margin but also the best away victory in the club’s entire history. Another confident stride was taken on the path to the London One South title and promotion to National League rugby.
Dover again threw everything at Sutton but Aaron Phillip broke from his own half and his astute kick put the home team on the defence. Following several attacks Paul Hodgson darted over from a quickly taken penalty to extend the lead to 10 points in as many minutes.
The Kent side were unbowed by these reverses and with the slope and breeze in their favour carried the game to the league leaders. The Black & White defensive line, superbly marshaled by Paul Hodgson, repelled every attack for quarter of an hour. This was followed by the youthful combination of Aaron Phillip and Kyren Ghumra to open their accounts for the afternoon.
Firstly, Aaron weaved through the opposition following a deft inside pass by Paul Hodgson. Two minutes later, not to be outdone, Kyren Ghumra with a kick and chase scored in the corner. 22-0 and a bonus point on the half hour was an impressive start. The situation improved on the stroke of half time when Kyren Ghumra sprinted home from half way to stretch the lead to 29-0 at the break.
Sutton refreshed their team at the interval introducing Neil Mauger, Joe Ridgley and Andy Matthews. It has been a notable feature of this campaign that the table-toppers have benefited from a strong bench with great quality that have made an impact and this was to be no exception. The hosts defended desperately and conceded regular penalties.
They suffered a yellow card to Aubrey Mncube and the men from Rugby Lane took full advantage of their numerical advantage. Two tries in as many minutes ended the game as a contest. Matt Whitaker forced his way over from a 5 metre scrum and Aaron Phillip finished with aplomb.
Paul Hodgson, who had switched from fly-half to scrum-half, dictated the game to great effect as the Sutton wings ran riot in the second period. By the final whistle Aaron Phillip had scored four tries and Kyren Ghumra had collected three of his own. S&E’s rugby was ruthless as they exploited their pace. The forwards provided quick ball, Matt Whitaker making frequent breaks and Paul Hodgson’s intelligent distribution provided the perfect platform.
Andy Matthews went over for the 11th try to bring up the record score. This was an outstanding performance by the whole squad. The defence was superb and did not falter, even denying them a late consolation with a thunderous tackle by Aaron Phillip. The forwards carried the ball aggressively with pace and dynamism. The backs were selfless in giving the wings the time and space to provide the points. The performance was epitomised, in attack and defence, by Dave Cook whose work rate was immense.
The league campaign has a break over the Easter weekend. The fixtures resume at Rugby Lane on Saturday 2nd April with a 3pm kick off against Charlton Park. I recommend one and all to take the opportunity to see Sutton & Epsom as they enter the home straight in the title race. On this form the crowd will be thoroughly entertained.
For deatils of all of the club's ativities go to RUGBY