National Two South

Taunton Titans 30 Worthing 12

TAUNTON Titans finished their home season off with a well-deserved win, but went about it the hard way with Worthing Raiders ruing the chance to claim some much needed league points, writes Keith Brooking.

The Titans were on the attack straight from the off claiming a penalty after just two minutes which was kicked by full-back Gary Kingdom.

However, the tables were turned on 10 minutes and the Titans found themselves reduced to 14 men, when prop Alec Chase was shown a red card for a ruck offence.

With Kingdom kicking another penalty two minutes later, the Titans then found themselves on the back foot.

Worthing now had the edge in the scrums with the Titans depleted, and the visitors attacked with pace and power, but could not find their way through a dogged and determined home defence.

Worthing had plenty of chances to score but either wrong options were taken or the ball was spilled.

In fact it was Taunton that finished the half the strongest when Kingdom went over for a try under the post on the stroke of half time.

Second row Duncan Hales stole a lineout ball from a Worthing throw and the ball was fed out to Dan Frost to crash up.

After several more phases where the backs and forwards shared the workload, the ball was sent out to Kingdom who had drifted outside of his marker before the pass and stepped inside the last defender to go in under the posts. He converted his own try to make the half time score 13-0

Worthing came out firing after the break and scored a converted try through second row James Arthur, with full back George Montgomery converting. Things looked ominous for the Titans with another 35 minutes to play with 14 men.

But the Titans players dug deep and with some astute substitutions to keep the fresh legs changing, it was the home side that scored next with a two further converted tries and a penalty.

The first try was scored by winger Aron Struminski who, after a quick tap penalty five metres out and a great pass by fly-half Toby East, squeezed over in the corner.

The second was scored by back rower Dan Frost who put in a man of the match performance.

A scrum in the centre of the field was scrambled out and handed on to Struminski on the half way line, and he used his pace and strength to take the ball to the 22 before off loading to Frost to run it in under the posts.

The Raiders kept attacking until the end and when the Titans were reduced to 13 men, they crept over for another try, this one scored by Jamie Ure, but it was the home side that celebrated at the final whistle after a hard working performance.