Rugby round-up: Maidenhead clinch thrilling win over Sutton & Epsom thanks to Prince's late try

Maidenhead 24, Sutton & Epsom 20

A try from the final play of the game by Drew Prince secured Maidenhead a thrilling 24-20 win over Sutton & Epsom at Braywick Park this afternoon.

It was a great day for the club from first to last with the club’s u7s and u8s teams coming down for training before watching from the sidelines as Prince, a former Maidenhead Mini himself, snatched victory for the hosts in the final seconds.

The victory, Maidenhead's third of the season, lifted them above Tunbridge Wells to 12th place, just four points adrift of today's visitors.

In recent weeks Maidenhead have come out on the wrong side of several narrow defeats, but this time they had the rub of the green thanks to Prince’s last gasp try.

In another topsy-turvy game Sutton scored four tries to Maidenhead's three, but the hosts managed to convert them all while Sutton failed to pick up any extras.

The sides traded scores in the first half, with Jack Hill going over first for Maids with Conor Graney converting. Sutton quickly pulled it back to 7-5 with a score from Ewan McTaggart and a couple more tries apiece, from Niall Crosley for Maids and Stefan Cooksammy for Sutton, made it 14-10 at the break.

Sutton grabbed a third try after the break through Gareth O’Brien but missed the conversion, and when Chris Farrell ran in their fourth of the afternoon, Maids trailed 14-20.

But the hosts stuck to their task, never gave up, and Graney fired over a penalty to make it 17-20 and set up a grandstand finish.

Maids now face a couple of testing matches ahead of the Christmas break as they visit fifth placed Sevenoaks next Saturday before welcoming second placed Wimbledon to Braywick Park on Saturday, December 18.

Great day at our very special club today. Our magnificent Under 7s and 8s came down to roar on our 1st XV to victory, sealed with a try in the last play from ex-Maids Mini, Drew Prince pic.twitter.com/wbq3RAiM4J

— Maidenhead RFC (@maidsrfc) December 4, 2021

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Witney 43, Windsor 5

Windsor suffered a disappointing defeat in South West 1 East, losing 43-5 at seventh placed Witney.

After beating Sherborne 27-26 a few weeks ago the Royals have come out on the wrong side of two away trips, losing 17-12 at Trowbridge before today's heavy defeat at Witney.

It leaves Neal Kennedy's side 11th in the table ahead of next week's clash against leaders Banbury at Home Park.

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Marlow 49, Wallingford 14

Marlow picked up their sixth win from nine league matches with a thumping 49-14 win over Wallingford at Riverwoods this afternoon.

The win, their third on the spin, moves them to within a couple of points of third placed Aylesbury who lost 31-16 at High Wycombe this afternoon. Marlow will look for their fourth straight win when they host eighth placed Milton Keynes next Saturday.

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Slough 0, Tadley 14

Slough were shut out as they lost 14-0 at home to second placed Tadley this afternoon.

The result leaves the Greenies fourth in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier Division ahead of next week's trip to Abingdon. The sides are locked together in the table on 30 points.