GUILDFORD 33

COLCHESTER 20

National League Three

COLCHESTER Rugby Club's relegation has been confirmed after they fell to defeat in a physical encounter at Guildford.

The Blacks' two-year stint in the National League has ended, following their loss to a side sitting three places above them in the league.

Colchester named an unchanged team to the one that had produced such a spirited display against second-placed Wimbledon a fortnight earlier, although hooker Alex Rayment was unavailable.

Guildford kicked off into the hands of veteran lock Eli Castle and within minutes prop Jerone Awesu was yellow-carded for a high tackle on the hosts' scrum-half and left the field of play.

Guildford worked their way into Colchester’s half and following a scrum, number eight Joe Garner powered over for an unconverted try.

Later wing James Crozier missed a penalty kick, as Awesu rejoined the game.

Making good use of a following wind, Guildford advanced again.

Blacks prop, Joe McMillan, made decent headway through the middle supported by his fellow forwards but the referee awarded a penalty against them.

Guildford fly-half Brad Smith booted it into touch, the lineout was won and the ball was moved swiftly to right-wing Nick Clarke, who scored in the corner.

Clarke scored again later during a bizarre passage of play, with Colchester were pressing forwards through energetic work by back rowers Ben Murphy and Danny Whiteman.

Man of the match Brett Cutbush fed fly-half David Higgins but his long pass was intercepted by a Guildford player who ran the length of the pitch only to be caught short by speedy centre Damien Brambley.

However the ball was offloaded to Clarke, who claimed his second try.

Shortly before half-time Crozier converted a penalty to put Colchester on the scoreboard and bring the score to 18-3. Substitutes Alfie Walsh, Liam Pickett and Brandon Fonalua had all joined by that stage, as injuries were picked up by various players.

Not long into the second half the hosts' inside centre, Rory Andrews, dump tackled Crozier and left the game with a red card.

A quick penalty by Higgins was followed by a brilliant individual try by Brambley, who jinked his way through the defence to score by the posts.

It brought the score to 18-13 and Higgins nearly added some more points for the visitors with a long-range penalty that just went wide.

But after a further fifteen minutes of nip and tuck, Hooper used his long legs to burst from the back of a scrum and score in the corner, a try that he successfully converted.

Colchester drove back at Guildford and following no less than four unsatisfactory scrums, were awarded a penalty try to close the gap to 25-20.

However, as the clock ran down Garner scored another try in the corner and Hooper wrapped up proceedings with a successful penalty kick to seal Colchester's fate.