Blues lead for most of the second half of this hard fought match but are just pipped in the final minutes when Maidenhead manage to get over to score the match winning try

Maidenhead kick off this Berks derby and are soon on the attack when they manage to charge down Blues clearance kick and get a 5m scrum when Blues knock on the loose ball, Maidenhead win their scrum and take play wide but into touch, Blues win their 5 m lineout and maul getting a scrum, Blues win and clear to touch, Maidenhead win their lineout and their forwards maul getting a penalty which is kicked 3-0 4 mins

Blues restart, Maidenhead kick clear to touch, Blues win their lineout and take play across the pitch, a knock on halts their progress, Maidenhead win their scrum just outside their 22 and kick clear, Blues attack getting a penalty, Blues take a quick tap and go and a neat chip kick is then regathered and they continue the attack getting a penalty which is kicked to touch in Maidenheads 22, Lineout won Blues forwards drive towards the line allowing Adam Neal to score a good forwards try Dan Thorne converts 3-7 9 mins

Maidenhead restart and regather taking play up to Blues 22 a knock on halts their progress, Maidenhead steal the scrum and attack wide but are tackled into touch, Maidenhead manage to steal the lineout but again a knock on stops them, Blues just hold their scrum and run out of defence but concede a penalty at the tackle. Maidenhead kick to touch win the lineout and maul, Blues manage to steal the ball and clear to touch on their 30m line, lineout won Maidenhead take play across the pitch then back breaking through some poor Blues defence to score under the posts, the conversion is good, 10-7 17 mins

Blues restart kick is gathered by Maidenhead who make good ground before losing the ball, Blues attack then put in a good crossfield kick which is gathered by Harvey North who gets up to the line before being stopped, Blues infringe at the tackle giving Maidenhead a 5m scrum. Scrum won Maidenhead clear to touch, Blues win the lineout getting a scrum when Maidenhead knock on, scrum won Blues spread the ball wide and soon have a penalty which is kicked to touch, injury time out

James Macaulay off George Anderson on 25 mins

Blues just win their lineout and soon have another penalty which is kicked to touch, again they win their lineout and get another penalty which is kicked to touch still in Maidenheads 22, lineout won Blues forwards maul before the ball is spread out through the backs, Blues keep up the attack through several phases, good Maidenhead defence holds Blues out but they concede a 5m scrum, Blues attack from the scrum getting up to the try line but are held up, Blues win the scrum going backwards and take play left across the pitch getting a penalty at the tackle, Dan Thorne kicks 10-10 34 mins

Maidenhead restart and again get hold of the ball getting a penalty they play the advantage getting up to Blues 22 before a knock on gives Blues a scrum, from the scrum Blues run the ball before putting up a high kick, Alex Millar gathers and breaks a tackle releasing Jamie Futcher, the ball is quickly released from the tackle and spread wide before a good cross field kick from Dan Thorne is gathered by Harvey North who sidesteps the tackler to score, Dan Thorne converts, 10-17 37 mins

Maidenhead are dominant at their restart kicks and get hold of the ball and soon have a penalty at the tackle which they kick to touch on Blues 22, a short throw means they make good yards up the touchline before the ball is spread across the pitch through poor Blues defence to score a try and convert 17-17 half time
A half Blues just shaded but a couple of needless penalties and errors cost then points
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Blues kick off the second half and get their hands to the ball just knocking on, scrum won Maidenhead run but concede a penalty at the tackle, Blues tap and go taking play across the pitch and into Maidenheads 22 getting another penalty wide out left which is kicked to touch, Blues win their lineout and take play right coughing up possession when the ball is lost forwards, Maidenhead win their defensive scrum and kick clear, Blues gather and a good kick and chase forces Maidenhead to clear to touch.
Blues win the lineout and attack running at Maidenhead before a neat chip kick and chase forces the error when Maidenhead knock on in the tackle in their 22, Blues hold their scrum under pressure from the bigger Maidenhead pack, a neat grubber kick just evades the Blues chasers and rolls into touch, Blues steal the lineout and get a penalty which is slotted into touch deep in Maidenheads 22. Blues win their lineout Josh Winfield breaking through, Blues keep up the pressure and are soon over when Alex Millar breaks through the defence to score Dan Thorne adds the conversion 47 mins 17-24

Maidenhead kick off long Blues return the kick, Maidenhead run at Blues breaking through Blues defence taking play up to Blues 22 before conceding a penalty, Blues clear to touch in Maidenheads half, lineout won Blues make ground up the touchline and get lucky winning a lineout, Maidenhead steal the lineout and kick, Blues gather and run before putting a kick deep into Maidenheads half they run the ball getting a penalty scrum for a high tackle, they attack from the scrum Blues intercept the pass but play is back for another Maidenhead penalty, the attempt at the posts just drifts wide 56 mins

Blues take the 22 drop out Maidenhead run at Blues getting a penalty just in Blues half which is kicked to touch in Blues 22, lineout won Maidenhead attack giving away a penalty at the tackle which they clear to touch, lineout won Blues kick again into touch. Blues steal the lineout but their throw isn’t straight giving Maidenhead a scrum just in their half.

Dylan Stewart off Chris Bird on 61 mins

Maidenhead win their scrum and run at Blues who manage to steal a loose ball, Blues run the ball taking play across the pitch before a putting in a crossfield kick and chase, play is brought back for offside at the kick, Maidenhead kick the penalty to touch in Blues 22. Lineout won their forwards maul before the ball is released taking play up to the line getting a penalty at the tackle, Maidenhead kick the penalty, 20-24 64 mins

Blues restart Maidenhead run making good ground taking play up to Blues 22, injury time out, Maidenhead restart with a scrum, which is reset, from the scrum Maidenhead put several phases of play together putting pressure on the Blues defence which holds firm and eventually force the error when Maidenhead lose the ball, Blues pick and drive then kick clear, Maidenhead run back into Blues 22 and again put sustained pressure on the Blues defence who force the penalty, Blues clear to touch win the lineout and soon have a penalty for a high tackle which is kicked to touch, lineout won Blues take play across the pitch but a knock on just in Maidenheads half gives them a scrum, Maidenhead take play across the pitch and back into Blues half, a forward pass gives Blues a scrum, Blues run the ball from the scrum taking play across the pitch, a loose pass means the ball is in touch and Maidenhead have a lineout.
Maidenhead win their lineout and run at Blues breaking through several tackles , a neat kick bounces away from the Blues defence and Blues palm into touch giving Maidenhead a lineout and Blues a yellow card, Maidenhead win the lineout and put pressure on Blues defence taking play across the pitch, after several phases they break through the tackles to dive over and score and convert, 27-24 78 mins

Blues restart, Maidenhead return the kick, Blues gather and run at Maidenhead getting a penalty at the tackle which is kicked to touch in Maidenheads 22, lineout won Blues infringe giving Maidenhead a penalty and the final whistle.

Blues have given a great performance and are unlucky to lose the game, the difference being a few soft penalties and errors, at this level you are punished for them, this was a much-improved performance compared with the Launceston game, a good squad performance.

Special mention to a great shift at prop from hooker George Anderson who had to play 60 minutes out of position when James Macaulay had to leave the game injured

Blues have a two-week gap between fixtures now, lets start again after the 2-week break rested and reinvigorated with a good win at Monks Lane against Okehampton

A Big compliment from Will Greenwood, his words to me after the match you have got a good team there you will soon start to get the results if you keep playing like that.

MOM – Dan Thorne
DOD – Toby Thorne

Newbury Squad
Ben Hicks, Rob Drysdale, James Macaulay, Adam Neal, Josh Winfield, Jack Walsh
Dylan Stewart, Alex Millar,
Tom Hunt, Alex Bancroft, Harvey North, Dan Thorne, Toby Holland, Jamie Futcher, Toby Thorne,
George Anderson, Christopher Bird, James Lewis

Blues next fixture is Sat 9th Nov @ Home v Okehampton 3pm KO

Thanks to the great Blues support who travelled in numbers for this Berks derby