DEPLETED VENTNOR RFC SIDE PUT TO THE SWORD BY ANDOVER

Ventnor 1sts suffered a 80-point thrashing in North Hampshire at the hands of Andover 2nds on Saturday (6th January). Ventnor started this game the brighter through good work from the kick-off by George Collett, Joe Coghlan and Callum Martin that put pressure on the Andover first-up defence and took the visitors into the home side’s twenty-two. A minute later, all had changed with Tom Crews out with a head injury and skipper Lewis Jones on the sidelines with a recurrence of the hand injury that has kept him out since early November.  It was devastating for both players who had worked so hard to get on the pitch and by the time substitutes Ryan Cooper and the ever-willing Tristan ‘Beast’ Price had taken to the field, Ventnor were down by 2 converted tries.  Then, Max Wheeler took on the midfield defence and was down and out with a recurring knee injury while Beast caught his foot in the soft ground and heard his hamstring pop as he tackled the Andover No 8. Now, Ventnor were down to 13. Things got worse as Cooper came off with a knee strain but bravely returned to put on a storming display in both attack and defence.  Meanwhile, Charlie Magnurson – who never conceded an inch – was struggling with the rib injury he picked up against the Isle of Wight but also refused to leave the field. Andover – at full strength with all their university players still on their Christmas break – racked up the scores assisted by an exemplary display of place kicking but Ventnor, rallied by Ben Savill,  never gave up and kept playing their rugby. Fred Fairman did well by chasing down a Sam Lines through kick and using his footballing skills to charge upfield. Despite a blatant block that hardly slowed him, he recovered the ball and support work by Jason Coltham, Ed Balke and Ben Souter almost put Cooper in for a deserved try. Later in the game, after a terrific turnover by Collett, Ventnor demonstrated what might have been with an attack led by Will Harrison that Blake and Andy Teague took into the red zone. Souter put the ball out wide, but the outnumbered Coghlan wasn’t quite able to link up with Martin and the try went begging. Full time: Andover 80-0 Ventnor Ventnor: Collett, Harrison, Savill, Teague, Coltham, C.Magnurson, Coghlan, Jones (capt), Souter, M.Wheeler, Fairman, Crews, Lines, Martin, E.Blake Subs: Price, R.Cooper Coaches: Jason Evans and Clive Cardwell-Hill Physio: Sarah Watt The A J Wells Man of the Match:  Ryan Cooper The Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Louis Malkin Next Saturday (13th January) Ventnor 1sts entertain Alresford at Watcombe. Kick-off at 14:00.