BRAINTREE 39

MALDON 35

Essex President’s Shield final

BRAINTREE Rugby Club brought down the curtain on a superb season by adding the Essex RFU President’s Shield to their Canterbury Jack Essex One title at Bancroft .

The Black and Ambers won every single game of their 2016/17 league campaign, earning the right to do battle in London League division three next season.

But they really put the icing on the cake in Buckhurst Hill when they edged an entertaining encounter with rivals Maldon to do a league and cup double.

Braintree started in exhilarating fashion when Daryl Coote collected the ball from Maldon’s kick-off and slipped it to second row Max Turner.

Turner found winger Tom Drew arriving in support at speed and his searing pace carried him over the try line for a score that was converted by Craig Willis for a 7-0 lead.

Maldon worked their way into the game and reduced the arrears to 7-5 with a try but it didn’t take long for Braintree to retake the initiative when Turner crashed over to score from a scrum and Willis converting again.

The try of the day came when Braintree fly-half Josh Hine chipped a delicate ball over the defence where it was collected by Joss Adams who passed inside to flanker Mike Benfield and he fed winger James Abbott who jinked over the line to score.

Willis converted to put the Black and Ambers 21-5 to the good, however, two yellow cards helped Maldon rally and they narrowed the deficit to 21-20 by the time the whistle was blown for half-time.

Braintree came out with the bit between their teeth after the break, though, with Adams scoring and Willis converting and although Maldon responded with another unconverted try, Willis stretched the lead to 31-25 with a penalty.

Again Maldon hit back with another try to make it 31-30 and knowing the next score was likely to be crucial, Braintree responded with Will Turner running through to collect a loose ball from a line-out to score in the corner.

Maldon capitalised on the referee not spotting an extra man in the line-out as they stole the ball and scored to get within a point again, but the boot of Willis wrapped up the game - and the double - for Braintree two minutes from time when he nailed a long distance penalty to seal a 39-35 win.

Braintree: Dann, Abbott, Adams, Willis, Drew, Hine, Page, Perry, Coote, Prince, Apps, M Turner, W Turner, Benfield, Spearman. Reps: Baker, J Moore, Carslake, Williams, Moss, J Young, Richards.