Four out of four as Newbury raid Abbey

NEWBURY LADIES made up for three defeats last season at the hands of the Reading Abbey side promoted alongside them when winning 18-5 at Monks Lane in their first meeting in South West Two.
Both teams went into the match on the back of three straight wins in the new surroundings but Abbey made the better start with their scrum diving forward before fly half Annette Tomas sailed through the home defence to touch down after four minutes.
Chloe Hunt reduced the deficit with a penalty and with Meg Mason kicking well from hand, Newbury went close several times before Lizzie Harris ran in to give her side an 8-5 interval lead.
They had the wind against them after the break when the Blues pack had to ward off Abbey’s big guns with Harry Synan’s  charge-downs and line out spoiling
prominent, and the home side absorbed the pressure before breaking out to force a penalty for a high tackle on Megan Horwood, and the resulting catch and drive was touched down for Hunt to convert.
Abbey fly half  Tomas broke through the home defence from well inside her own half, only to be chased down and halted yard short by Jemma Thripp as Newbury had to work hard to  contain the Abbey onslaught before they settled the game on the break when flanker Hannah Ward was released down the wing to pave the way for Harris to bully her way through two bigger defenders for her second and decisive try.