A TABARD side, desperate for league points, squandered victory on Saturday, November 3, after putting themselves into a winning position to eventually lose out 32-27 to Camberley.

Camberley took a grip of the game from the start and soon found themselves 13 points ahead when scrum half Hughes went over and Webb followed up on his converted kick with two further penalties.

The visitors came fighting back though and were soon rewarded with a score of their own.

After a penalty in their own half, stand-off Richard Woodard kicked to touch close to the Camberley line and from the line out, second row Mick Finnie passed to Rob Sussum who drove forward and from the ensuing maul, hooker Mark Sharpe scrambled over the line.

Although Camberley stretched their lead with another penalty, Tabard scored again on the stroke of half-time when flanker Dallas Adams went over from a short penalty and scrum half Michael Skinner added the conversion to make it 16-12 to Camberley going into the break.

Tabard attacked from the restart and a series of forward drives put them in contention, before being awarded a five-metre scrum for their troubles.

From the set piece, number eight, Ron Matthews, picked up and drove over the line, despite the attentions of several Camberley defenders, before Skinner converted to fire Tabs into the lead.

Another Camberley penalty evened the score. However, Tabard were in the ascendancy and their incessant pressure was rewarded with a penalty which Skinner cleverly took quickly to set up Peter Webb to go over.

Camberley pulled the scores back with a penalty but Skinner quickly returned the favour as Tabs looked favourites to hold on for the vital win.

However, in injury time, Camberley went ahead with a penalty before wrapping things up with another penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to cruelly rob Tabard of the points.

November 9, 2001 11:00