Match Report

 S London II 18-24 W London II

07/07/07 (Courtesy of South London Storm)

 

South London Storm’s youth development fruits were on show on Saturday in the London League match against West London with five junior system products making their senior debut along with three other teen products in the reserve team fixture. With the school and junior season now complete, five Croydon Hurricanes standouts made debuts for a side captained by 18 year old Storm Development Officer Chris Beavan. 

 

With West London short of players on a weekend full of entertainment around London, Souths loaned players throughout the game to provide an even match and the 28 players involved provided a fantastic spectacle for the crowd as a curtain-raiser to the first grade match between the two sides. 

 

Backrower Dave Gregson opened the scoring for the Storm when he burst through off a sublime Owen Eckersley pass to score out wide in the fifth minute, and this was followed up by prop Brad Brooks bashing his way over in the 14^th minute for an 8-0 lead. Storm went further in front when a backline move sent Julian Parkes away down the right wing for a spectacular try in the 28^th minute, and with Richard Pitchfork’s first conversion of the afternoon, the home side led 14-0. 17 year old Bobby Harker then took an exceptional inside ball from Nick Unanue to run away and score for 18-0.   

 

West London then turned the match on its head from that point scoring three unconverted tries to make the score 18-12 to the home side with 15 minutes to go. Ironically the final 12 points were scored for the West London Sharks by South Londoners, and by two players regarded the best on-field for the day – with Bobby Harker again showing his nose for a try with a 50 metre run and 16 year old Alex Mount barging over from ten yards out for the match-winner, Harker converting both. 

 

The match saw exceptional performances from a number of youngsters and rookies who look set to be future first graders in the not too distant future, including Ian Tupper, Dave Lamb, Steve Guan, Lloyd Foster, Simon Cooke, Lee McCarthy and Chris Tibrett in addition to the tryscorers, apt on a day when the club celebrated it’s tenth anniversary. The match also saw the final game for the Storm for club stalwart Richard Pitchfork, who is moving to Sheffield.  A true clubman, “The Fork” contributed significantly to South London’s growth over the past five years on and off field (as the club’s Media Liaison), being rewarded with his first premiership as a player in 2006.