Ellingham & Ringwood 1st XV travelled for their penultimate game in Counties 1 Hampshire League against Gosport & Fareham who like their visitors pushing for promotion, it what was to be a hotly contested match with a large crowd watching following a pre match lunch and a game of walking rugby between the older players of the two clubs. It was the visitors who were the first team to get the old school scoreboard moving when after sustained pressure form the Ellingham forwards and a number of penalties conceded by the home team captain Sammy Veneroso asked his winger Chris Frost to try a shot at goal and he succeeded in slotting the ball through the uprights to give the visitors a 3 point lead in the 16th minute. Two minutes later Frost should his speed down the left flank to score in the corner for a well worked try, with the wind whipping off the harbour Frost was unable to make his conversion. This spurred the home team into action and in the 27th minute their hooker Tim Snowden ran a good line and muscled his way over for a good try, they could not add the extra two points and despite some attritional rugby being played by both sides the scoreboard was not troubled and the half time score was Gosport & Fareham 5 - Ellingham & Ringwood 8.

Frost was on fire and was to be awarded Man of the Match at the end of the game and deservedly so when he sprinted down the left wing in the 49th minute with the ground now bathed in spring sunshine out pacing the home teams defence to score in the far corner to the delight of several away fans who had made the journey to cheer on their team and drown out a now quiet Welsh corner of the home teams contingent watching the game. The second half proved to be see saw in nature as the home team fought back and even down to 14 men they were proving a hard team to keep at bay and in the 56th minute they were able to get their second try of the game, but unfortunately for them, but to the benefit of Ellingham their kicking game was not on point and they could not add the additional two points. Then Dan Jackson who had replaced Connor Scott and playing at number eight muscled his way through a couple of tackles and ran through the centre of the pitch to score under the posts giving Frost an easy kick to add the two points and extend the visitors lead in the 63rd minute.

Yet as mentioned the home team would not lie down and they game back to score another try in the 66th minute to reduce the deficit to five points, with the clock ticking and going into the last ten minutes of the game following sustained pressure from Ellingham's forwards the home team gave away a number of penalties and Firey Frost was asked to kick at goal in the 71st minute and he duly obliged to take the visitors score to 23. As the game was coming to it's conclusion second row George Randall powered his way over the line in the 78th minute to give Ellingham a bonus match winning final score of Gosport and Fareham 15 - Ellingham & Ringwood 28 to secure promotion to Regional 2 level the highest this small rugby club on the edge of the New Forest have achieved from humble origins.

Although Frost deservedly got the man of the match award, special mention must go to Chris Jeffes who playing at full back controlled the game with an excellent kicking game. Added to this thanks also to the coaches Alan Steel and Keiron Spencer for steering the mighty E's to their greatest achievement and to Director of Rugby (DOR for short) who arranged the coach to allow the away team to travel in style and enjoy their victory with several beers and songs on the way home. Ellingham and Ringwood have one game left on the 5th April against Sandown & Shanklin to end their season and hopefully end their season on a high.

Cheers

Swede