CHOSEN HILL FP 24 BURNHAM ON SEA 20

The start of the match was delayed for fifteen minutes as the visitors waited for one of their key players to arrive and when it finally did start Chosen had first use of the slope but it was Burnham who were quickest out of the blocks running in an unconverted try in the opening minute after several missed tackles saw their right winger cross in the corner.
Worst was to follow for Chosen as a fired-up Burnham crossed for a second try, this time converted, after just eight minutes.
Chosen lost second row Nick Stroud to injury and he was replaced by the evergreen Ian Riddel who soon made his presence tell with some powerful runs and hard hitting tackles.
The match was being played from end to end and it was not until the half hour mark that Chosen finally opened their account when a good passage of attacking play ended with scrum-half Pete Gyde powering over for a try converted by Andy King.
Five minutes later Chosen went on the attack again and good interplay between forwards and backs saw them take the lead when young winger Nick Bates received the ball at pace and ran a perfect line from twenty metres out, beating several despairing tackles to dive over the line with King adding the conversion.
A penalty goal from King on thirty nine minutes gave his side a five point interval lead.
A penalty goal from Burnham five minutes into the second half narrowed the gap to just two points but on sixty minutes Chosen scored their third try.
Hooker Rob Panting charged up the right wing from near the halfway line and he was not stopped until he crossed into the visitors twenty-two but he managed to unload the ball in the tackle and it was quickly moved right across the pitch to the opposite wing where Panting’s younger brother Grant, on for the injured Bates, took the final pass and crossed wide out. King landed the extras for a 24-15 lead.
Going for the bonus point try, Chosen spurned a kickable penalty, instead opting to go for a lineout in the corner, but the decision back fired on them as they lost the lineout and Burnham raced away deep into home territory where, after a series of scrums they eventually crossed for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to just two points.
As a result of the late kick-off, the final ten minutes was played in ever increasing darkness and with injury time being played Burnham had a series of close range scrums but were unable to ground the ball and Chosen held on for the narrowest of victories.
Next week Chosen travel to Cheltenham to take on the town side at The Prince of Wales Stadium with a 2.15 kick-off.