Hove U14 Girls v UckHeath - Sussex League Decider

A game of two halves, grit and determination.

Hove changed their fortunes from earlier in the season whose only defeat was at the hands of UckHeath at their home ground, to wrestle their way to winning the game 12-10 in the final play.

A cagey first half saw UckHeath run two tries downhill on Pitch 4 and taking an early lead, scoring within the first 5 minutes of the games and then again before the 10 minute mark. Once awake and alive, the Hove defensive efforts kept the opposition at bay consistently after then and some quality tackling led to ending the first half 0-10.

The second half was where the girls really came into their own, some excellent pressure put Hove in a good position ready for a line out early in the second half and after some decent offloads, Lily’s dynamic running resulted in a try rather fortuitously under the posts - which Molly was able to convert, adding pressure to the scoreline for Uckheath with the score a tighter 7-10. With improved ball retention and rucking in the second half, Hove managed to wrestle possession and maintain it for more of the second half - and an excellent defensive display from all 15 players on the pitch meant that Uckheath could not get over the line at all in the second half.

In the final play of the game, after marching as a team to the opposition try line and consistently fighting in the rucks to keep hold of the ball, Lottie powered over the line and scored the game winning try. A moment which reminded the players of just how important hard work is and what it means to fight to the final whistle.