Finchley 0

Old Gaytonians 29

This game meant everything to Gaytonians, with a win securing their promotion to the Middlesex Merit Table from the Associate competition.

Though less hungry for success, there was no excuse for Finchley's inept exhibition, considered by the sizeable crowd to be their worst of the season at Summers Lane.

For Gayts' stand-off Mark Reeve it was a personal success with a tally of 24 points. He scored one try and was unerringly accurate with the boot, landing a drop goal, four penalties and two conversions.

The visitors were soon six points ahead with two penalties, with Finchley failing with two equivalent opportunities in the opening minutes.

From a series of penalties and mauls near Finchley's line, the defensive cover was finally sucked in to allow Reeve to gather from short range and drive over.

Careless chatter, albeit with a Gaelic accent, from Finchley's No 8 Spike Clark gave Reeve the opportunity to land a massive penalty from just five metres inside Finchley's half.

Finchley started the second half determined to put the Division Three upstarts in their place, but it all evaporated when Reeve kicked a penalty and then conjured up a delightful drop goal from 30 yards wide out. The ex-Wembley player's effort killed off any ideas Finchley had of getting back in the game.

Scenting victory, Gaytonians tackled fiercely, assisted by Finchley's over-elaboration in atack in heavy conditions, with the ball failing to reach the home side's flying wingers Mark Pearce and 'Swampy' Campbell.

Instead, rocked back on the defensive, it was only a brave tackle by Pearce that prevented Finchley conceding another try. The ball ran loose and prop Tyron Hanlon gathered and plunged over, with Reeve inevitably adding the conversion points. .

While no Finchley player had a particularly poor game, the collective performance was well below par. At the fag-end of the season, games like this should carry a government health warning. Gayts were up for it, Finchley weren't. On Saturday Finchley conclude their season with a match yet to be arranged.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.