Match Report by Rick Howe.
Our Referee today was Phillip Willis.

Crowborough made their first visit to South London this season, to face a home side reeling from their previous weeks mauling by Crowborough’s close Sussex neighbours, and as the opening whistle went , they charged out of the blocks clearly determined to make the visitors pay for that humiliation.
However the ‘Boro outfit stemmed repeated forward pick and drives, which would become the main tactic of the home side, before throwing off the A21 journey and getting into their stride.
This manifested itself in an exceptional try scored by Gus Weir, when a training ground move paid off in spades, as Sam Skinner took Sam Marchesi’s quick feed, and slung out a lateral miss pass to Jonah Houghton. Houghton put on the after burners and straitened the line to set the defence, off-loading to the looping Josh Jarvis who in turn straightened the line giving Gus Weir all the time to cross over and make the conversion for Jonah Houghton a formality.0-7
Will Pitman, next went close, when isolated he put in a speculative chip which slid over the dead ball line for a drop out. The drop out did not have the legs, and was fielded on the Park 22, with Will Creasey on the charge who slipped the ball to Sam Marchesi who crossed the line for another Jonah Houghton converted try.0-14
This was the time for Park to double down, if the game was not to get away from them. However ‘Boro were not to let them off the hook, and if the first try of the match was something sublime ,then the next was simply breath taking in its construction and execution!
With the whole back division involved, the defence were mesmerised as the ball moved through the hands at such a speed that they were transfixed, with Sam Skinner finishing off a move that he had instigated, stunning most of the spectators into momentary silence. The kick was agonisingly missed.0-19
The Crowborough pack were quite imperious in their control, which not only provided Sam Marchesi with quality ball but kept the defence on the back foot giving the ‘Boro backs room to operate, whilst the back row protected the channels close to the scrum with uncompromising tackles.
Sam Marchesi was once more into the action, when from a scrum out wide on the right, and with most expecting the back division to move the ball wide, he broke right down the 15 metre channel with Gus Weir in support. The defence struggled to get across but Jonah Houghton made the necessary space to for Gus Weir to cruise round the final defender and score under the posts for Jonah Houghton to convert. 0-26
With half time still several minutes away, there was no lack of enterprise from either side, as the game continued to be played at break neck pace, with even the front row of Richard Tasker and Mark Rosier getting into the action with dummies and pop passes, as this near “7’s” festival style of rugby continued.
Josh Rhodes, who was having a sterling match in the back row, (in the run up to Half Time), was shown yellow for an alleged trip just as the whistle went for half time. 0-26 Half Time.
Down to 14 men and with Park seemingly been given a “motivational session” during the break, the home side proceeded to take the game to ‘Boro, and monopolised possession and territory for most of the first ten minutes. Indeed, although they were to leak further points during the half Park were to be unlucky not to have a greater influence of the scoreboard.
Having absorbed the post half time attrition, ‘Boro regrouped, and from a scrum on their own 22, Marchesi passed flat to Sam Skinner, who looking up saw the faintest of gaps. With a show and go he slipped through the centre, and with the defence lying flat had only the full back to beat. Sensibly, spying Will Pitman fast arriving in support, he drew the #15, before passing, leaving Pitman with acres of space to exploit and score the Houghton converted try. 0-33
With the backs running through all their training ground moves, it was Josh Jarvis who was next on the score sheet when Jonah Houghton , finding the direct route for his pass blocked, went all NBA with an overhead lob to Jarvis who scored the try although the kick was pulled. 0-38
Bennett was robbed of the opportunity to get the pack on the scoresheet with he took a marginally forward pass with the line begging.
Park really were performing better in this second half and when they threatened to put together a fine scoring chance on the ‘Boro 22, with the whole back division in support, the final scoring pass was intercepted by Jonah Houghton, who probably rued the fact when he looked up to see he had 70 metres of clear space in front of him to the try line!
With the defence having to turn and put in the chase, the gap slowly closed. With just the final five metres to cover, the chasers arrived, as did Josh Jarvis and Gus Weir, but in an effort to get the ball wide the flailing pass went forward and the moment was lost.
Not so for Harry Marchesi. When from a long Park clearance, Oscar Thatcher cleanly fielded the kick and fed Gus Weir, who slung a pass to Will Pitman in the middle of the field and with seemingly nowhere to go. With the ‘Boro touchline support roaring him forward, Will Pitman proceeded to slip through attempted tackle after attempted tackle before finding himself in clear air and Harry Marchesi in support. Selflessly as the final defender came across Pitman drew the tackle and off-loaded to Harry Marchesi to score the final Jonah Houghton converted try . 0-45
The game was not over yet, and to the delight of all on the touchline, Park got their reward for perseverance and never say die attitude with a well engineered try out wide on the right which went unconverted, for a full time score of 5-45.
This result leaves Crowborough in fifth place, but as an indication as to the relative strength of this League, with a third of matches played, there are just four points separating 2nd and 5th, and four points separating 6th and 9th , with a total of just 12 points between 2nd placed Heathfield and 9th placed Beccahamians.
Next week is a fallow International week , so round 8 is on November 9th at Steel Cross against a dangerous and fast improving Park House, who beat second placed Heathfield yesterday.