FRAILITIES ARE AGAIN EXPOSED AS FINCHLEY RULE THE ROOST

Enfield Ignatians’ disappointing season continued as they were unable to stem the tide against a far more fluid Finchley, and it resulted in a 36-0 loss under lights at Donkey Lane on Friday evening (February 16), writes Jonathan Landi.

The game was abandoned after 60 minutes after Ethan Renny suffered a nasty looking injury (broken tibula and anj;e bone) which required on the field treatment, but given the number of playing minutes which had elapsed the result will stand.

Struggling to get on the front foot, Ignatians failed to cope with the pacey Finchley backline, and the constant wave of attacks from the visitors discomforted the hosts no end, as the home side were repeatedly forced on the defensive.

The constant pressure applied by a pacey Finchley side, which looked to stretch Ignatians at every opportunity, paid dividends as the red and whites sailed into a 17-0 lead, with the prop initially leaving the home side a bit red-faced after dummying his way over.

There was let up in the attacking momentum and two further tries, both in the far right-hand corner, further increased the lead of a rampant Finchley outfit.

Playing in fits and starts, Ignatians had their moments. They knocked Finchley back in the set-piece but also shot themselves in the foot, as, having initially won a penalty in a promising position, they subsequently undid all their own handiwork.

As a needless act of petulance from Jack O’Toole not only saw the penalty reversed, but it also came with the double whammy of a yellow card for the half-back.

A neat blindside probe sparked by number eight Frank Antwi, followed by further forward rumbles close to the Finchley line, gave Ignatians some badly needed go-forward. Yet it ended all rather unsatisfactorily with the attacking side eventually penalised for holding-on.

Daniel Shaw, the ex-Finchley scrum-half, gave a timely reminder to his former team-mates of his speed off the mark with his tap and go from a penalty. Having initially made good yardage, he suffered a heavy knock after being shackled in the tackle which forced him off the field.

However, either side of this probe, Finchley continued to expose the fragility of Ignatians makeshift backline, having twice sliced through the middle, which meant that the visitors had matters pretty well sewn up at half-time after leading 31-0.

Despite the introduction of the cavalry either side of half time, namely Ben Roper, Jake Baker and Declan Linnane, there was no improvement in Ignatians’ fortunes, as Finchley further increased their lead, and the early end to proceedings will have been something of a relief.

Notwithstanding the loss, there were some good individual performances and Sam Hatchett (pictured prepared to throw in) is the Enfield Press Man of the Match. A mobile hooker, who gets around the paddock and makes his tackles, the improvements in his lineout darts were also manifest.

Head coach Jack Wilson said: “Our defence was poor. We didn’t show much cohesion in that area and we left lots of gaps. However, our set-piece looked good and we improved in the lineout. However, we showed a lack of want.”

Currently, propping up the table in Counties One Herts-Middlesex, Ignatians are away to Ruislip on Saturday, February 24.

Team: Tom Buckland, Paul Duke, Carl Asare-Anderson, Hadee Fayaz, Cairo Sango, Jack O’Toole, Daniel Shaw (Ben Roper), Matt Georgiou, Sam Hatchett, Farhad Fayaz, Seyi Adeosun (Jake Baker) Nathaniel Clarke, Ethan Renny, Euan Renny, Frank Antwi (Declan Linnane). (18).