Once again the decision-making under pressure was very good at times but I would still like us to scan for mismatches on the pitch and exploit these. A frustrating day but I already look forward to Sheppey away next week

- Head coach Chris Roberts

Thanet had started the season strongly and, although not at the top of the table, were unbeaten in their two league matches so far. Lewes - with several key players not available for this game - were nevertheless keen to follow up on their impressive home performance the week before. The match started at a frenetic pace with Lewes looking threatening every time they got the ball. The opposition were clearly thinking they were in for a tough afternoon. Pressure was eventually turned into points when Alfie Hill, making his full return from injury, went over uncontested after some superb team play. Jon Pitts could not add the extras. The Lewes tackling was superb for the first 23 minutes of the contest, however as bodies started to tire, the tackle height rose enough for the Thanet powerhouse centre to break through and with the conversion, give Thanet the two-point lead. Momentum was now with the home side and they added another try several minutes later to make it 14-5, although how the referee could see the grounding of the ball is a question many were asking!

A monster blow was struck almost immediately when a 1 on 1 tackle was missed out wide and Thanet raced to score a further seven points at the stroke of half time. There was no doubt that this shell-shocked the young Lewes side but left them resolute to mount a seemingly achievable comeback! This looked to be the case when Will Feltham scored by the posts, after receiving a pass from Billy Shiell after a mesmerising run from his own half. Pitts added the conversion and it was game on at 21-12. Sadly it was not meant to be and the impressive Thanet side, although blowing very hard, created one excellent try and pounced on a telling Lewes handling error to pad the score. With the chances of the victory now clearly out of sight, the knocks started to accumulate. The lack of substitutes to add fresh legs told a story and the side were forced to play the final stages of the game with 14 men, enabling Thanet to consolidate with further tries. The final score of 45-12 somewhat flattered the opposition who were however deserved victors.

Spectators and opponents alike were extremely complimentary of the Lewes performance. Head Coach Chris Roberts agreed with this sentiment but added the comment:
"At times we were exceptional and definitely moving in the right direction. However we are still not backing up our talk with a walk and this was evident with some of the tackling by some players. That said, I was also delighted that this area has improved across the board. Once again the decision-making under pressure was very good at times but I would still like us to scan for mismatches on the pitch and exploit these. A frustrating day but I already look forward to Sheppey away next week."

Lewes: Alfred Hill, Fraser Warren,Luke Raynor, Matthew Blunt, Christopher Jolley, Thomas Hatch, Sam Furse, Casey Morgan, Samuel Hewitt, Billy Shiell, Thomas Petty, Jon Pitts, William Feltham, James Brown, Kai Man

Lewes 2nds continued their 100% record with a fine 53-5 home win over Heathfield 3rds.(see Team Photo, with the players in Lewes RFC's new shirts!)

See Danny Simpson's photos of the 2nds game here>>