Ventnor RFC suffered a 33–5 defeat away to Fareham Heathens on Saturday (31st October), despite a determined performance and a late try from Tom Branagh.
Looking to bounce back from the previous weekend’s wet and windy defeat to Southampton, Ventnor faced another difficult afternoon against a strong Fareham side.
The visitors were forced onto the defensive almost immediately, with Hayden Lythgoe and Pat Banks producing some powerful tackles to halt Fareham’s early advances.
Ventnor managed to regain possession, with Luke Butler clearing into touch, before the game settled into a more evenly contested spell.
Beau Bridgeman and Joe Coghlan made encouraging ground going forward, supported by Harvey Wheeler and Jack Gilbey, as Ventnor looked to establish a foothold in the contest.
However, Fareham continued to apply pressure, forcing Ventnor into some desperate defending. Lewy Morton and Cody Hayman both made important tackles, but the hosts eventually found a way through to open the scoring.
Ventnor responded positively, with Riley Lloyd and Dan Lythgoe putting in heavy tackles that forced Fareham to seek territory through touch.
Despite their efforts, the hosts maintained control of the scoreboard, adding a further 2 tries before the interval to leave Ventnor facing a substantial deficit.
Half-time: Fareham Heathens 21 – 0 Ventnor
Ventnor emerged for the second half showing renewed determination, with Ben Westbrook’s pressure forcing an early knock-on before Ed Blake secured a valuable turnover with a well-timed tackle.
One of the visitors’ standout defensive moments came when Ben Cooper found himself confronted by 3 Fareham attackers who appeared certain to score.
Cooper produced an excellent tackle to halt the attack and force the hosts to reorganise, although Fareham eventually worked their way through Ventnor’s packed defence to extend their advantage.
Ventnor introduced Fred Fairman and Tony Jacobson as they looked to freshen up their efforts, with Jacobson immediately making his presence felt through a series of tackles in midfield.
Despite the scoreline, Ventnor refused to give up and were rewarded for their persistence with a promising spell of attacking rugby late in the second half.
Arran Robinson made valuable ground before combining with Tom Branagh, who broke through the Fareham defence to score Ventnor’s only try of the afternoon.
It provided a deserved moment of celebration for the visitors, although Fareham ultimately ran out comfortable winners.
Full-time: Fareham Heathens 33 – 5 Ventnor
Ventnor: D. Lythgoe, J. Gilbey, R. Lloyd, C. Hayman, L. Morton, P. Banks, T. Branagh, H. Wheeler, B. Bridgeman, L. Butler, B. Westbrook, J. Coghlan, H. Lythgoe, B. Cooper, E. Blake, F. Fairman, A. Robinson, T. Jacobson Coaching Staff: Damien Marriott, Clive Caldwell-Hill, Todd Riches Physio: Sarah Watt
A J Wells Man of the Match: Tom Branagh
Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Dan and Hayden Lythgoe
Reflecting on the defeat, Ventnor coach Damien Marriott said:
“Another tough defeat for us today against a very good Fareham Heathens side. Credit to them, they played some good rugby and deserved their result.
“The lads are working hard, and there’s no lack of effort or commitment. We just need to be better in key areas of our game and start turning that hard work into performances and results.”
Ventnor now have a weekend without a fixture before returning to action on Saturday 14th November.
The 1XV will welcome Havant III to Watcombe Bottom, while Ventnor 2XV will travel to face Midhant Marauders on the same day.
