Aydin flys over to answer Saints call

ST FRANCIS kept their promotion dream alive with this tight victory over a stubborn and committed Hove side.

Tries from Dave Callan and Alper Aydin sealed the victory.

The first quarter of an hour was a tight affair with the two sides feeling each other out.

After 15 minutes a good break from the back of a scrum by No 8 Dave Miles saw him switch with winger Alper Aydin as Saints continued to threaten the Hove line. Further pressure saw Hove forced to kick to touch from behind their own line. At the second attempt Saints were able to secure the ball and roll the maul in-field towards the posts.

This created a gap in the Hove defence on the blind side which experienced scrum-half Alan McArdle was able to exploit to the full before expertly drawing his opposing man and passing to Callan, who was able to touch down in the corner unopposed.

This try stung Hove into action and they quickly made their way down the pitch before a dummy by Hove fly-half Sam Howse saw the Saints defence part like the Red Sea. Howse was able to sprint the 20 metres to the try-line without so much as a hint of a defensive tackle.

Hove were now in the ascendancy and Howse attempted a long range drop-goal which would have put his side infront at the break if it had gone between the posts.

Saints made a bright start to the second half as they caught their own kick off and good marauding by Miles kept play in Hove's 22.

After several recycles of the ball through the forwards, centre Murray Stephenson found a gap in the Hove defence and broke through before finding Aydin who dived over the line.

Kenny converted to give the home side a seven point lead with just over 20 minutes remaining.

An attack from distance by Hove saw Paul Southgate break through to score a try. The resulting conversion was missed and with the St Francis leading 12-10 a nail-biting last 15 minutes was in prospect.

Saints had an opportunity for a pushover try towards the end which their forwards deserved, but Dave Miles was penalised by the referee for a double movement as he grounded the ball. Although Hove had time for one last attack, the ball went loose in Saints 22 and Miles gleefully punted the ball to touch knowing that the referee's whistle would sound to signal a Saints victory.

This hard-fought win keeps Saints looking upwards to the summit of the Intermediate league.

With nine league games still to play this season promotion to Sussex Division One remains a distinct possibility.

St Francis: McGahan, Perry, Arney, Trevaskis, Callan, Page, Millard, Miles, McArdle, Kenny, Williams, Smith, Stephenson, Aydin, Baulk, Bender, Norrie, Parish.