Great win puts Darts back in contention

A big day at Bourne Rd as Darts entertained Horsham and also hosted a pre match lunch for 90 guests which included representatives from The Wooden Spoon Charity who the club is sponsoring this season. Micky Skinner spoke for the charity and entertained the lunch guests with some great stories and jokes.
The club was expecting a tough match against great rivals who have been part of many fantastic matches between the two clubs and following Darts disappointing defeat last weekend the players wanted to immediately bounce back. It was the visitors who scored first when they were awarded a penalty and kick ed for touch and a fine training ground move saw them go over easily in front of the posts to go 0-7 in the lead. Not the start the club wanted but they hit back playing at a high intensity moving the big Horsham forwards about the park. Eventually it was Smiler who made a break and although fortunate that the ball bounced backwards when he dropped it he still managed to recover and feed Ollie Edwards who raced over to score. 5-7. Again it was penalties that helped Horsham make ground and they scored an excellent try having used their forwards to draw i the defence only then to move it out wide for their winger to go over in the corner. 5-12. Darts had most of the territory but were maybe a little too frantic but the pressure did tell when they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts . 8-12. A slight altercation between the teams saw Ollie receive a yellow card which quietened the crowd. This actually seemed to spur the home team and they moved back up the field which a number of drives and rucks and when awarded a penalty 5 metres out Sam Cooksley took it quickly and went over and Mike Briggs converted to give Darts the lead. 15-12. This was the score at half time and gave no indication of what was going to occur in the second half.

From the off Darts looked the sharper team and were on the front foot and after a succession of rucks and quick ball the ball went wide to Connor Sutherland who went over. with Mike again converting. 22-12. Darts were now exerting a lot of pressure and taking control and after some great work at the ruck forced a penalty and from the lineout drive it was Smiler who went over for the bonus point try. 27-12. Further pressure from the home team saw them score again through Connor who took a great ball from Callum. 27-12. Horsham hit back and moved the ball strongly upfield and pressured heavily 10 metres out but the defence by Darts was superb however Jamie Clifford was sin binned following a succession of infringements. This spurred the darts defence even further and when Sam Cooksley brilliantly ripped the ball then moved it to Connor who took it on before passing to skipper Si Briggs who ran 65 metres to score. Mike converted. 39-12.