It has been some time coming but Hornets at last showed some of the spirit and ruthlessness to which supporters had been accustomed to in the previous season. This was without doubt the best Hornets performance of the season to date, notwithstanding the 66-5 drubbing of struggling Westcliff. On a cold dreary afternoon at Dry Leas, an afternoon which carried more than a hint of the coming winter, Hornets were clinical in their execution and quick to pounce on mistakes by their opponents. Joe Wilson kicked every attempt at goal and bagged a brace of tries. Ollie Povoas was outstanding as a stand-in for missing skipper Alex Salt. Andy Weaver was a colossus in the pack, and Joe Glover brought an element of control at scrum half which perhaps has been lacking in recent weeks. That said, it was a day when the team played as a unit with every man doing his job. It wasn’t spectacular but it was very good to watch.

It was also good to see Shay Nixon make his first appearance for the 1st XV, after having previously represented the club at every level from U6 upwards, when he came on as a late replacement in the second half.

In terms of possession, Henley had slightly the better of the game but, in a manner reminiscent of Hornets in recent weeks, made too many errors at crucial moments in the game and suffered the consequences. In particular, a period of sustained Hawks pressure in the middle of the first half resulted in two clear overlaps form which Hawks should have scored but on both occasions the final pass went astray, and Hornets were able to clear the danger. Arguably, that was the critical period of the game.

Hinckley had opened the scoring after just five minutes. Euan Kelly intercepted a stray Hawks pass on halfway and the ball was worked downfield. Joe Glover picked up from the base of a ruck just outside the Henley 22m and popped up a delightful reverse pass into the arms of a charging Joe Wilson to run to the posts unchallenged. Wilson opened his kicking account with the conversion.

But then Hornets found themselves under pressure and having to defend hard to keep out the Hawks. On the half hour, however, a scrum on the Hawks 22m saw the ball spun right and Wilson grabbed his second with a neat step inside to wrong-foot the Hawks defence. The conversion took it to 14-0.

A Hornets penalty shortly afterwards was kicked to within 20m by Wilson and from the resultant line-out, Adam Johnson was able to touch down after the Hinckley pack had driven their opposite numbers over their own line. Wilson added the extras to give the Leicester Road men a 21-0 advantage at half-time.

Hornets had secured the bonus point within five minutes of the re-start when a pick and drive from a Hornets’ scrum inside the Henley 22m carried the ball to within 5m. The ball was spun right to give Euan Kelly the chance to go over from close range. He had to work to make the line but duly delivered. Wilson again hit the target with the conversion and the game seemed over at 28-0.

Hawks were in no mood to lie down, however, and pulled one back themselves from a driving maul when flanker Samson Adeji, who had an excellent game for the Hawks, broke away and forced his way over for the score. Cail Cookland added the conversion.

The lead was soon restored. The ball was worked downfield from a Hinckley line-out and quick hands from the base of a maul inside the Hawks 22m saw Josh Smith break the line, holding off a couple of attempted tackles to score a well taken try under the posts. The conversion was a formality for the metronomic Wilson.

The last quarter wasn’t pretty. Henley upped the tempo, but it became something of a scrappy affair, and the Hawks frustration became evident when scrum half Will Crow was carded,

Shortly afterwards, Hornets lost Luke Coltman to a yellow card in a case of mistaken identity when Hornets illegally halted a Hawks rolling maul that was destined to score. The referee went under the posts for a penalty try.

Hawks added a third in the dying minutes, when it seemed Hinckley minds may have been on the hot shower waiting in the changing rooms, but Hornets did have the last say when Joe Wilson took his personal tally to tally to 23 points with a well taken drop goal.

After the trails of recent weeks, DOR Scott Hamilton was delighted with the performance. ‘A few things went our way today which in previous weeks would have gone against us, but I thought the boys played really well. It was a solid team effort and the best performance we have seen this year. We did pick up a couple of injuries to Harry Bower and Callum Rowe but I’m hoping that they won’t prove too serious.’

Canterbury, who sit just one point and two positions ahead of Hornets in the League, visit Leicester Road next week and a win for Hornets could see them move further up the table towards mid- way.

Nick Robinson