CHOSEN HILL FP 33 CHEW VALLEY 13

Chosen Hill brushed aside the disappointment of last week’s defeat at Cheltenham to record their first ever win against league leaders Chew Valley.
On a crisp and dry afternoon Chosen produced their best performance of the season to move back up to third place in the table, being level on 38 points with their visitors who sit above them in second by virtue of having won more games.
Chosen had first use of the Brookfield Road slope and they finally opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a cracking try.
Centre Tom Derby split the visitors defence with a superb break from the half-way line, and kicked ahead towards the touch line, co-centre Scott Claridge was following up and managed to keep the ball in play by tapping back as he leapt into the air right on the touch line. The ball was gathered by the Chosen forwards who drove towards the corner and when they were halted right on the line the ball popped back and scrum-half Tom Knight scooped it up and dived over the ruck to touch down.
Number ten Andy King missed the conversion but minutes later made no mistake with the conversion of hooker Rob Panting’s try, scored after a fine forwards drive.
Chew Valley got their first points on the board on thirty five minutes with a penalty goal and almost on the stroke of half-time they landed a second penalty goal to narrow the gap to just six points.
Ten minutes into the second half King was sin-binned and with his team down to fourteen men the visitors quickly seized on the opportunity to cross in the left hand corner with the conversion giving them a one point lead.
On sixty minutes scum-half Knight was again involved in a try scoring move when his superb inside pass to Darby gave the centre just enough room to wriggle inside his markers and accelerate over thirty metres to touch down under the posts. King’s conversion put his side back in front by 19-13 but more was still to come from Chosen as they upped the pace to land their fourth and bonus point try, scored by number eight Ian Riddel who touched down after the pack drove a five metre penalty lineout over the line. King converted to open up a 13 point margin.
Chew Valley were now in a position they have been in just once before this season, having only lost one match and that by the margin of just 13 points to new league leaders Avonmouth Old Boys. Try as they did, they simply could not break down the organised Chosen defence and it came as no surprise when, with 70 minutes played, Chosen winger Jamie Gamble crossed for try number five, superbly converted from the touch line by King.
A great team performance from Chosen who are playing with determination, flair, and a "never say die" attitude that augers well for the future.
Next week Chosen make the short trek up the A 419 for their second match of the season against Cirencester.