UEL 0 Kent 27

UEL’s new rugby era, with Tim Marshall in charge of his first game, got off to a losing start against a tough Kent side.

With a newly formed team and new manager against a respectable outfit, the odds were stacked against the hosts.

And Kent were on the front foot from the start, looking for an opening and the chance to put early points on the board.

However, the London side denied their rivals with some resilient defending, absorbing the pressure well in the early stages.

On the half-hour mark Kent found an opening and scored the first try of the match that was then converted to give them a 7-0 advantage.

The momentum stayed with the visitors and their second try of the game soon followed courtesy of a blistering run on the left wing, although it went unconverted.

UEL seemed to come out more positively in the second half, enjoying some good phases in the oppositions half. But more attacking pressure from Kent resulted in their third try of the afternoon.

The home side came close to putting points on the board soon after, enjoying possession deep in the opponent’s 22. But they failed to force an opening through the strong line of Kent bodies and subsequently conceded a penalty.

With the home side giving it their all in the second half, tired legs became an issue and Kent capitalised on this with yet another straight run across the left wing.

Utilising the pace they possessed on each side, Kent claimed their fourth try with five minutes to go.

And despite the home team’s best efforts, they failed to prevent a last-minute fifth try which completed the scoring.

In spite of the disappointing result for the hosts, there was plenty to take away from the game for the UEL side.

Having gone agonisingly close to scoring a try and closing the opposition out on various occasions, there is potential and promise for the remainder of the season.