Coney Hill snatch defeat from jaws of victory against
Coney Hill 21
Reading 30
Coney Hill contrived to produce defeat from probable victory in this South West One (East) match at Metz Way, writes Mike Wallace.
They dominated for long spells, but Reading exploited crucial errors to secure an undeserved success.
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Showing no respect for their high-flying visitors, Coney Hill pitched into Reading's 22 and camped out on their goal-line.
Massive defence kept them out until ball was spilled, turned over, and Berkshire centre Alex Dorliac broke away to score after that ten minute battering.
Fly-half Robert Sweeney converted. Coney's forwards resumed the attack but tempers rose and from the resulting brawl Coney lock Ben Webb and Reading's Sean Kenneally were sin-binned.
The Hillmen's first-up tackling was uncompromising, forcing Reading to kick most of their possession away, but in a rare attack Sweeney's fine cross-field kick found winger Jordan Gomez in space with virtually a clear run-in.
Coney again fought back and were denied a 'try' only by an accidental offside borne of over-eagerness. Reward came as half-time approached when a tap penalty was charged home by flanker Sid King, Paddy Knight adding the extras, to bring the interval score to 12-7.
Almost from the restart, Sweeney kicked a penalty before Coney again besieged the Reading goal area, forcing a yellow card for visiting flanker Scott Heirene and winning two penalty chances which went begging.
Coney ran through the phases ten metres out but petered out against stonewall defence and, with everyone committed to all-out attack, a dropped ball was scooped up by Sweeney to run in fully 60 metres to score.
With the game slipping away, Coney Hill finally produced a slick blindside move, sending replacement Robert Cook in, full back Paddy Knight slotting the conversion.
Reading responded swiftly with yet another try against the run of play.
Dorliac seized on a loose ball in his 22, broke through and off-loaded to Sweeney who scooted down the wing with the defence not at home.
Some furious rucking earned yellow cards for Coney's Sid King and Reading's Jamie Guttridge as experienced referee Tim Beddow cooled tempers down.
The tempo didn't slacken and a charged-down kick put Cook in for his second try and Knight's conversion brought Coney within five points of the lead with ten minutes remaining.
A grandstand finish was settled in bizarre fashion.
With Coney on the attack again, pressing for the winner, a long, aimless Reading clearance kick seemed to be going dead in Coney's goal area.
Only Doriac followed it up with any enthusiasm and was rewarded when it stopped dead, still just in play, and he gratefully flopped on it.
It just about summed up Coney Hill's luck. They could, indeed should, have won but were denied even a losing bonus point.
Coney Hill: P. Knight; J. Hamlin; M. Whelan; S. Felice (R. Cook, 60); L. Morgan; R. Baker; C. Holder (S. Rayer, 51); S. Price; L. Foran; A. Pettigrew; B. Webb; S. King; J. Fowke; C. Hitchman (S. Ellacott, 51); A. McRae.
Reading: J. Johnson; J. Gomez; A. Dorliac; M. Gubb; C. Grieg; R. Sweeney (D. Witko, 65); R. Lester; R. Pryor; S. King; A. Grierson (R. Willcock, 58); C. Horn; S. Kenneally; S. Heirene; A. Veale (A. MacNaughton, 68); J. Guttridge.
Referee: Tim Beddow (Glos Society)
Star players, For Coney Hill: Lock Ben Webb tackled well and did more than his share of the hard yards. For Reading: Centre Alex Dorliac whose pace and elusive running were a constant menace.
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