Eastern Counties Ladies got off to a winning start, 26-20, against Warwickshire Women at Stowmarket RFC, in their Gill Burns Women’s County Championship Plate first round match.
Fielding the finest female players from across Eastern Counties, including representation from seven clubs, including Woodbridge, Bury St Edmunds and Harwich, expectations were high for a competitive game.
The visitors drew first blood with a try wide out on the right flank, but this was countered by a try from West Norfolk Ladies’ full-back Georgie Lingham, converted by Harwich Owls’ Annalise Allan to take the score to 7-5.
Warwickshire quickly re-took the lead with a further unconverted try, before Harwich Owls’ lock Mimi Montgomery powered over the line to score, the extras being added by Allan, taking the half time score to 14-10 in favour of the hosts.
After the break Warwickshire again used their forwards to great effect, driving deep into EC territory, but were denied by some brave tackling until the hour mark when the visitors scored their third unconverted try to take a narrow one-point lead.
This lead didn’t last long though with Woodbridge Amazons’ Claire Brickley restoring the home side’s advantage with an unconverted try to take the score to 19-14.
Eastern Counties then extended their lead with a try from Wymondham Wasps’ blindside flanker Libby Lockwood, who scored from a quick tap penalty, powering over the line to score. Allan again added the extras in an excellent display of kicking which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Warwickshire matched EC Ladies try count with a fourth of their own in the dying seconds of the game making the final score 26-20, but the home side’s kicking made the difference.
After the game Eastern Counties Ladies Team manager Aaron Swanborough said: “I am very proud of the team and they way they stuck at it, coming back from behind on three occasions in the game and never giving up on themselves.
“The focus now needs to be on the next game away to Oxfordshire.”
EC Ladies second game in the Plate is on Sunday, in Oxfordshire, and will be played at Gosford All Blacks RFC 2pm kick-off.
Team: 15 Georgie Lingham (West Norfolk Ladies), 14 Briony Davies (Shelford Ladies), 13 Kristin Kvalvik(Harwich Owls), 12 Maria Carpenter (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 11 Steph Hanratty (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 10 Analise Allan (Harwich Owls), 9 Georgie Palmer (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 8 Stacey Hargrave Capt (Royal Navy), 7 Sam Chan (Shelford Ladies), 6 Libby Lockwood Vice Capt (Wymondham Wasps), 5 Mimi Montgomery (Harwich Owls), 4 Jasmin Clark (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 3 Sophia John (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 2 Kaylee Williams (Bury St Edmunds Foxes), 1 Charly Green (Wymondham Wasps)
Replacements: 16 Sami Rackman (BSE Foxes), 17 Tekura Maeva (Lakenham Ladies), 18 Natalie Palmer (BSE Foxes), 19 Naomi Dobner (Harwich Owls), 20 Holly Crook (Wymondham Wasps),
21 A Claire Brickley (Woodbridge Amazons), 22 Sonia Knowles (Lakenham Ladies)
EC Scorers: Georgie Lingham 1T, Mimi Montgomery 1T, Claire Brickley 1T, Libby Lockwood 1T, Analise Allan 3C
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