Jersey Reds 10 London Scottish 36

Saturday 08 October 2016

What started as a blip has now become a bona fide crisis as Jersey slumped to yet another Championship loss.

Jersey Reds were put to the sword by the Exiles, who thrashed them in the later third of the game, racking up point after point to send Harvey Biljon's side to a fourth successive defeat.

The Exiles racked up five tries to one and avenged a brace of losses at Jersey's hands last season.

Biljon was left to reflect on one of the toughest results in nearly three years in charge of the Island side, now in their worst run since losing five consecutive league games midway through the 2014/15 season.

'We were outclassed in all areas," he said. "We had perhaps half a dozen opportunities to score in their 22 which we didn't take, and you can't afford to make as many errors as we did.

"We have a break from league action now and want to get some wins in the British & Irish Cup We meet Scottish again three more times this season and will be looking to set the record straight."

Early pressure from the visitors saw Dan Koroi finish a rolling maul for the opening score, but the Reds reduced the arrears when a scrum penalty offered a straightforward penalty chance for Brendan Cope.

Cope's touch-finder from a subsequent penalty gave the hosts the perfect platform on the half-hour mark, with a chance to take the lead, but a lineout that was picked off by Scottish number 8 Ally Miller signalled a massive turning point. The Exiles scored 14 more points before the break, with Danny Kenny taking a scoring pass from Patrick Kelly following an attack from the back of a lineout, and then Kelly himself going over from close range. The hosts were shellshocked, and trailed by 18 at the break.

Jersey needed to get an early score when play resumed, but in fact it was the Scots who stretched their lead with a gem of a try within three minutes, set up by Robbie Fergusson's chip and catch followed by a scoring pass to Jason Harries who cantered to the posts.

A host of replacements were brought on by the Reds, but this had little impact as the Scots stretched their lead with a mauled try finished by Dave Cherry.

Soon after Nick Selway was held up after a rolling maul, Jersey were able to score just after the hour when Lewis Robling hurled a long pass to Rich Lane who crossed in the corner. Further Jersey pressure came to nothing as a result of errors and solid Exiles' defence, with the closest efforts being a Regan King chip that was knocked on five metres short by Lewis Robling with the try-line begging and a powerful burst upfield by Nick Haining.

The only remaining points were from a late penalty by Scottish full-back Pete Lydon to raise his personal points tally to 11.

Exiles' Head Coach Peter Richards hailed his side's "most complete performance of the season."

"We'd played well in patches in our previous games but across 80 minutes that was very very accomplished in all elements - to come here and play so well is fantastic."


Jersey Reds: Adair; Watkins, Robling, King, Lane; Cope (Davies 71), Hardy (Dudley h-t); Thomas (McCarthy 50), Macfarlane (Selway 50), Armstrong (Tampin h-t), Campbell, Kolo'ofa'i (McKern 44), Campbell, Argyle (Doyle 56), Freeman (c), Haining. 

London Scottish: Lydon; Holland, Fergusson, Kelly, Harries (Rath 68); Sheppard (Coombes 74), Stevenson (Fraser 70); Shiells (Harris 10-17, 55), Cherry (Fenton 55), Koroi (Beavon 48), Bartle (c), Patrick (McGeekie 10-17, 38, 7), Kenny, Atkinson, Miller

REFEREE: John Meredith. Assistants: Chris Sharp, Kevin Stewart
ATTENDANCE: 1,702
Half Time: 3-21
Man-of-the-match: Danny Kenny (London Scottish)


Scorers
Jersey Reds
Try: Lane 61
Conversion: Cope 61
Penalty: Cope 16

London Scottish
Tries: Koroi 5, Kenny 30, Kelly 36. Harries 43, Cherry 55
Conversions: Lydon 5, 30, 36, 43
Penalty: Lydon 78