OLD TIFFINIANS 31, PETERSFIELD 31

An eventful match ended with Old Tiffinians booting the ball into touch and celebrating a miraculous win. But they had miscalculated the scores and their late comeback against Petersfield left the game drawn.

Although the high-scoring draw in South London looks a good result for ’Field, they should have won at a canter after taking a healthy lead into the final quarter.

The trusty boot of Andy Barnes, Petersfield’s man of the match, gave the visitors an early lead and their backs continued to dominate play in the first half.

Full-back Josh Haslett and inside-centre Matt Momber then finished off searing breaks with tries under the posts. So often the bridesmaids to the pack, the backs were in full cry.

Passes that in other matches had failed to stick were now held and the red line swept all before them; irresistible in attack and resolute in defence.

Tiffinians looked all at sea, but fought back in the second quarter, punishing Petersfield’s indiscipline to score a pushover try from a penalty lineout. This score, bracketed by Petersfield’s two tries and Barnes’ conversions, left the hosts trailing 5-17 at half-time.

In their last outing – against Trojans – ’Field had held let the game slip through their fingers and the signs were ominous as Tiffinians scored within a minute of the restart.

The Reds began to impose themselves again and, late in the third quarter, hit Tiffinians with a one-two on the counter.

In the space of three minutes, left-wing Eddie Matthews and then Haslett, finishing a break down the right by Seb Tuff, had scored the tries that secured the bonus point and opened up what appeared to be an unassailable 31-12 lead.

When a Tiffinian was yellow-carded at the start of the final quarter, the win looked done and dusted, but it’s often said that winning breeds winning and ’Field have not done a lot of that in a difficult first season back in the London leagues.

The 14-man Tiffinians muscled their way over for another try, converted, and when restored to full strength, continued to harry their guests. With the clock ticking down, the rampant Tiffinians added two more tries in quick succession – one converted. They thought it was all over, but had done their sums wrong.

With closest rivals Weybridge Vandals losing at Old Cranleighans, ’Field appear to be safe in ninth place, but a league restructuring can never be ruled out and the Reds need to maintain focus and win their final London 3SW fixture at Teddington this Saturday.