Beccles started the game brightly, the forwards were able to provide the backs with clean ball and the likes of Cemil Durak and Luke Wade made good breaks in the opening exchanges. Beccles drew blood first when a well executed driven maul allowed Robert Hall to score. Wade added a conversion and a penalty soon after to extend Beccles’ lead to ten points.

Upminster were quick to get back into the game. Marcus Sale coughed up a certain try when he twisted his knee and knocked the ball on in the process, just meters from the Upminster try line. The ball fell to the quick Upminster winger, who ran the length of the field to score under the Beccles posts.

Beccles continued to dominate possession and territory. Sustained pressure from the Beccles forwards was again rewarded when a try was scored from another driven lineout, this time B&B Skip Hire Man of the Match Matt Goode was the one who went over.

Upminster often found themselves falling foul of the referee and Beccles made the most of this, with Wade keeping the scoreboard ticking over with three penalties. On the stroke of half-time Upminster made the most of some poor Beccles tackling out wide to score in the right hand corner.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with Beccles dominating the possession and territory. Two converted penalties from Wade followed. Beccles camped in the Upminster twenty two for ten minutes but could not force their way over. The ball was turned over on the Upminster try line, their backs decided to run the ball out, and again some poor defending allowed their winger to run the length of the field to score. Another try for Upminster followed from a driven lineout bringing the scores to 27-27.

With the game coming to the closing stages Beccles found themselves deep in the Upminster half, some quick thinking by Wade caught the Upminster defence napping and he coolly slotted a drop goal for what Beccles thought was the game winner. However, this was not to be. From the restart Beccles cleared their lines, the Upminster winger ran the ball back, and attempted to chip the ball over Wade, only for the resulting charge down to fall straight back into the kickers hands, giving him the easiest of run ins to clinch victory for the visitors.

Beccles will find this a bitter pill to swallow given that they were winning the game for over 75 minutes but will have to dust themselves off before travelling to Harlow in what is a very winnable game. Meanwhile the second team narrowly lost to Wymondham II’s in Merit Table 1, 8-3, and hope to get back to winning ways when they host UEA at Beef Meadow on Saturday.

Beccles Team:

Reece Ling, Shaun Lake, Stuart Adams, John Walker, Keith Johnstone, Robert Hall, Darren Maeer, Marcus Sale (C), Gavin Hewitt, Dave Tieuti, Cemil Durak, Luke Wade, Stuart Armstrong, Michael Suchy, Sam Harmer. Rep: Charlie Hay, Tris Holtzer, Matt Goode.