Redingensians Rams 28 Old Centralians 6

With full back Chandler and replacement fly half James Brooks adding the conversions the five points moved Rams back into second place in the table and four points ahead of local rivals Bracknell.
The Lily Hill men lost their game to the weather so now have a game in hand on Rams in the battle for, at least, a runners-up spot and to claim a promotion play-off place against the NL3 London runners-up.
Summing up Saturday's match Rams skipper Andy Amor said: “They were a hard side to beat. I think their league position doesn't do them justice. They gave us a lot of trouble and it was only in that last five minutes that we really showed our great character and were able to score two tries.”
As Amor also pointed out Rams win was a fitting tribute to all of the back-breaking work put in by the clubs hard-working ground staff and around 40 general members who turned out in the morning to sweep away the surface water so as to ensure that the match went ahead.
While it was still very slippery underfoot and the muddy conditions made handling difficult at times neither side had any complaints especially Rams, playing towards the A4 in the first half, who touched down as early as the sixth minute.
It came off the back of some opening pressure in the visitors half and a line-out deep in the Cents 22 when No.8 Tom Bryson, once again impressive throughout, claimed a good ball at the back and, from the ensuing drive by his fellow forwards, prop Baker was bundled over in the corner.
Chandler failed with his wide-angled conversion attempt only for the visitors to hit back through two well-struck penalties from centre Liam Hemmings. The first, on 12 minutes, when Rams went offside at a ruck and the second, just five minutes later, when Rams forwards were pinged by referee David Metcalfe for going over the top of a ruck.
It proved a short lived lead, however, as Cents were penalised themselves shortly after at a ruck and, this time, Chandler made no mistake to put Rams back in front, 8-6, and restore the lead which they took into the second half.
And it was the veteran Chandler, back in the side with Andy Bryans unavailable, who opened the second half scoring as the lively visitors pounded away in the Rams 22.
As Cents swept across the pitch, left to right, Hemmings sent out a weak pass to his wing man and Chandler, on his own five metre line, pounced and intercepted and found himself in space with almost the length of the pitch to go.
“There was three defenders and me and, I thought, I've got to do something!” he explained jovially after the match. “I just took the ball and then you look up at that greenery in front of you! I immediately thought right, go! go! go! There was wheel-spin a bit but I got to the halfway line and the hamstring started to tighten up and then, by the 22, the heart and the lungs start letting you know, but I got there!”
Unfortunately, not perhaps surprisingly, he couldn't convert his own score but made up for it, just eight minutes later, by booting over his second penalty for a 16-6 lead.
Whilst the visitors still gave Rams plenty to think about, despite the loss of their right wing to a yellow card for 10 minutes, the homes sides tackling and cover defence never wavered and they finished the half with two tries in five minutes.
Bryson grabbed the unconverted first, following a great drive, while it was new boy and left-wing George Owen who helped create the final try in the dying minutes having released flanker Ollie Poole on a devastating run-in from 30 meters out.
Replacement fly half James Brooks adding the conversion.
Newcomer Owen, 21, and a former London Irish Wild Geese player since the age of 13, said afterwards: “It was a great win in dodgy conditions and we were lucky to get it played. But to help with the score in the 79th minute was even sweeter. The clubs been very, very welcoming, it took me some time to get here but now I'm definitely glad I'm in!”
Rams, with eight league games left to the end of their league season, continue their promotion bid by making the long journey to Devon next Saturday to face Newton Abbot.
Rams: Chandler; Duffelen, Bryant, Amor (c), Owen; Gumbleton, Hill; Weller, Paxton, Baker; Hughes, Kenneally; Randall, Poole, Bryson. Reps – Crame, Jeffreys, Brooks.

Thanks again to the staff and supporters who worked on the pitch to enable the game to take place.

Match Report By Steve Williams.