Sat 13^th October 01

Milton Keynes 3^rd XV 0 - Ampthill Extras 42

Extras keep clean sheet 

It wasn’t the best performance of the season by the Extras this season but it was the first to produce a clean sheet. A late arranged fixture away to Milton Keynes was very different to the corresponding game last season. On the previous occasion Ampthill got lost finding the ground and then went on to get beaten in cold conditions.

 This time all but two of the players arrived in good time on a warm October afternoon. The Extras were the stronger of the two teams and it was only their lack of direction that prevented them from completely trouncing the Buckinghamshire side.

 There were a total of six tries scored by the Extras shared equally between the forwards and backs. It was notably a good day for the Extras’ two hookers with Gez Ingarfield scoring a try in the first half and Brian Todd getting one in the second. The kicking was also superb with Steve Marsden getting five from five and Ian Browning sliding the one that he took from a considerable distance out from the posts.

 The first try of the afternoon was for Ian Browning a short while into the game. Next it was the turn of Steve Marsden and to wrap the first half up Gez Ingarfield charged over the line to score his first in two seasons. 

The second half didn’t see the home side tire or give up and took a similar pattern to the first. Steve Marsden scored the first try but it took until over half way through the second half before another was scored. 

With twenty minutes of the second half gone, Sean Jones was tackled just yards short of the line. The yelp that came from the open side flanker showed he was clearly injured, a few minutes after he was carried from the pitch with no further part to play. Brian Todd came on and took over as hooker as Gez Ingarfield moved to flanker. 

Brian Todd veteran of countless Extras campaigns is not one to miss a scoring opportunity, as he received the ball yards away from the Milton Keynes try line he cut inside and barged the defender out of the way to crash to the ground over the line. The referee on close inspection raised his arm, try given. 

Toddy usually averaging a try a season showed none of his usual signs of joy upon scoring. Later it was learnt that as he crossed the line a knock to the head had left him with little recollection of actually scoring. 

The final try came for Rob Campbell, his last few trips to ‘The Academy’ have been to learn a new trade as number eight. A break from the back of the scrum and a charge to the line and the Extras had their sixth try.

A sad point to note was that Sean Jones’ injured knee was later diagnosed as torn ligaments, which is bad news for the Extras, as his presence in the side will be sorely missed.

 The Extras also lost a ball at the ground. Commenting on this, later, skipper Liam Duffin concerned of the implications this may have on team selection was quoted as saying ‘I don’t think my position within the team is in any danger as I have plenty more balls where that came from’.

Tries:  Ian Browning, Steve Marsden 2, Gez Ingarfield, Brian Todd, Rob Campbell