Sat 15 Feb 2020, 14:00
Witney travelled down to Reading on a run of form that had seen the boys win 15 from 15 league games and Reading hadn’t lost since the last time Witney played them back in October where Witney secured a bonus point 26-8 win.
The conditions were going to make this a different game with the full force of the storm blowing from left to right down the pitch and the pitch itself very wet with little grass on it.
Witney kicked off with the wind at their backs some would say an advantage but both sides wary of the wind kept the ball tucked up their shirts as they say and its was mainly a middle of the pitch battle with neither side gaining any advantage or disadvantage from the wind. The score at half time was 0-0 both sides used the break to warm up and change into warm kit before the second half begun.
The second half began with Reading having the wind behind them, this gave them an advantage as they used the wind better than us and on the 47th Minute after constant pressure on the Witney try line a penalty was conceded by Witney . An easy kick with the wind behind wasn’t to be as the kicked missed the uprights 0-0 . 10 minutes later Witney still pinned down in their own half conceded another penalty and this time Callum Cload slotted the ball through the posts 3-0
Witney now looking to get back at Reading were straight under pressure from the kick-off and Reading scored a try by Rob Cunningham and converted by Cload 10-0
Witney looking like coming home empty handed went in search of a score and impressive work in the middle of the pitch saw the ball make it was up the middle and centre Matt Clarke dived over 10-5 The conversion was missed as it was kicked straight into the eye of the storm.
Both sides battled on in the mud bath but there weren’t any further scores. Reading jubilant in their win and became the first side to beat Witney on balanced deserved their win.
Witney players stuck to their task in awful conditions against a very strong well organised Reading side and who knows on a drier day when our wingers would have seen more of the ball who knows what the result may have been.
So congratulations to Reading and thanks for an excellent pre match lunch and hosting us on an awful day maybe we will meet up again next year in the South West 1 East
