Old Dunstonian 32 Charlton Park 39

The game was preceded by the whole ground joining a minutes silence for friend and OD Pete Nertney, who died tragically young in the preceding week. RIP Pete.

In defeat, the old boys may have learned a valuable lesson from Park, a side with a game plan that was well devised and executed. Contrast this with the old boys who didn’t use their own prime assets as astutely. Mix in a couple of questionable calls from the referee, garnish with two gifted interception tries and voila, victory becomes defeat. This is not to say Charlton were’t worth their win, they (just about) were, but two tries disallowed for dubious forward pass calls combined with 14 points donated crassly by intercepts and you have a 28 point swing in a game decided by a seven point margin. The old boys were missing the bulk and guile of experienced forwards Wild and Boyd, big misses against a pack as powerful and wily as Charltons.
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Charlton Park started strongly down the hill, launching their big pack through the inside channels. With ball carrying very much a forwards job and with the promptings of a fly half more inclined to kick, this was classic Park – it almost wouldn’t have been a surprise if Doug Hursey had featured at lock. This pressure however was well maintained and having extracted a penalty, the kick to the corner became an unstoppable rolling maul and a seven point lead. D’s struck back when outstanding scrum half Cody Mackie led several drives into Park territory, eventually finishing a blindside break for a converted score and a 14 ten lead. Sadly he damaged his shoulder in this series and spent the rest of the game on the wing. Injury to hooker Michal Majcher also saw Stefan Abaseaca introduced and without a proper hooker reduced the lineout options somewhat, though Dennis by no means disgraced himself on temporary throwing in duties.

Pressuring the Charlton line D’s were denied what looked a perfectly good try when Dallanana outflanked the cover to go in by the posts only to be called back for an inperceptable forward pass. Insult was added to injury when a Park centre read the D’s midfields intentions and picked off a pass to run 50 metres for a converted score. Turning around to play up the slope D’s repeated the error and suddenly at 14 – 28 down things didn’t look too bright. Driven on by Luke Smart and the efforts of a pack just hanging on against significantly bigger opposition, D’s clawed back a foothold. A try from Luke Smart bringing the margin to 9 points before a further Charlton penalty extended it to 12. Smart looked to have again bought the old boys back but was controvertially recalled for another marginal forward pass call. Mark McKillop’s convered try looked to have bought the old boys right back until Charltons fourth try looked to have nailed down the win. No so. Marc Dennis secured the old boys own 4 try bonus and bought the old boys to within 4 points. Charlton were happy to run down the clock and kick a late penalty to restore the margin to seven points until the referee bought down the curtain on a frantic afternoon.

A word on Luke Smart. When the D’s No 8 wasn’t ruling the lineout, making hard yards through the Park forwards, popping up in midfield, competing at rucks and making multiple tackles, he found a few moments to help out Dallanana at fullback running back high kicks. Within his wiry frame beats the heart of a ferociously competitive beast, and he topped off a man of the match display with yet another try. Mention should be made of Ollie Evans who was pacy, direct and showed an appetite for the games physical side that was never the defining factor of dad Marcus's game!

Charlton Park showed why they are at the top of London South East 2 with a game plan built around a powerful forward pack that if allowed to establish field position will squeeeze points out of the meanest defence. The old boys however didn’t find (or weren’t allowed) space into which to launch their strike runners, this being the first game I can remember not to feature a try from Dallanana.

This defeat sees D’s slip to 5th in the table as Charlton Park consolidate their place tucked in behind leaders East Grinstead. The holiday break will give the opportunity to heal Mackie and fly half Bryant Hall amongst other walking wounded and its hoped that a full complement of OD’s will be available to take the field against Midwives on the first Saturday in January.