Mayo bags final score to leave hosts reeling

ABBEY needed a try in last play from hooker Zac Mayo to defeat Bletchley in their opening Counties Tribute Ale 1 Southern North fixture last Saturday.

The visitors had led 34-5 early in the second half of a topsy-turvy encounter before the home side shook them with a stupendous fightback. Abbey scored seven tries in all to their opponents’ six to claim a first league victory at the Manor Field since 2008.

Abbey took the lead in the 10th minute when winger Brendan Clarke scored a try after a 30m burst. He added a second try shortly afterwards, this time from 60m, after Bletchley had kicked away possession.

The visitors’ third try came after they had turned down an easy three points from a penalty in front of the posts. They opted for a scrum instead, and skipper Sol Wallis-Robinson sent fullback Max Boucher over the line on the blindside.

Boucher scored Abbey’s bonus point try, running 70m to cross under the posts after snapping up a loose ball. Wallis-Robinson converted this score before setting up try number five. He dummied and dodged and was almost up to the line where prop Dan John was in support to score. Wallis-Robinson added the extras and Bletchley replied with a try from hooker Josh Sprules just before the break.

Winger Leo Clifford stretched Abbey’s lead to 34-5 with a try after 45 minutes, but then the Bletchley comeback began. Flanker Finn Hague scored a try, which was converted by outside half Cameron Watkins, and then scrum half Jack Sharp set off on a long run up the left touchline before giving fullback Elliott Hales a scoring pass.

Watkins claimed the next two tries, one of which he converted from the touchline, and then with five minutes left skipper Hugo Govett levelled the score with his side’s sixth try. Watkins missed the conversion which would have given his side the lead for the first time, and then came a dramatic recovery from Abbey. In the dying minutes they managed to get the ball close to the home line, where they were awarded a penalty. A tap was taken and Mayo stormed over for the winning score, with Wallis-Robinson concluding a memorable afternoon by converting from the touchline.

Abbey: M Boucher, L Clifford, C House, G Goodenough (T Martin, 40 mins), B Clarke, R Norville, S Wallis-Robinson, D John (T Wilkinson, 38 mins), Z Mayo, A Postlethwaite, J Knights, J Becalick, R Williams, B Callaghan (R Wallis-Robinson, 65 mins), M Eldridge.