Barnes survival hopes hanging in the balance (From Surrey Comet)

Barnes survival hopes hanging in the balance

10:24am Monday 30th January 2012 in Other Rugby By Ben Gilby

Barnes’ hopes of escaping relegation from National Two South took a major blow with a 45-10 defeat to Old Albanians on Saturday.

First, they were demolished by the visitors, and then discovered that all of the sides around them in the table had recorded victories.

Old Albanians went into this game as the form side in the division, with ten wins in a row, which included a sensational win over league leaders Richmond at The Woollams last weekend.

The game, played in cold conditions was watched by one of Barnes’ bigger crowds of the season, but the fare on offer did little to warm the spectators.

It took half an hour of fairly turgid stuff before the first points were recorded on the Barn Elms scoreboard.

Albanians’ number eight Andrew Daish broke the deadlock when he fired in an excellent pass which allowed Rob Farenheim to dot down.

Richard Gregg converted. Just six minutes later, the St. Albans based side doubled their advantage, and it was Daish who had the starring role in the build-up once more, this time putting in player/director of rugby James Shanahan to cross.

Gregg’s conversion was good, and Old Albanians went in at the break 14-0 ahead.

After so long before the opening score of the match, the second half opened with rapid fire scoring which saw the Hertfordshire side take a vice like grip on the game.

Wes Cope was first to cross the whitewash.

However, just two minutes later, Barnes grabbed a life line as scrum-half Hamish Reeves plunged over, and Warren Gower converted.

At 19-7, the Green & Golds knew that if they could manage the next score, then hopes of a shock victory could materialise.

It was not to be, as Old Albanians showed why they are serious contenders in the promotion picture.

Luke O’Keefe’s try, converted once more by Gregg slammed the door shut in Barnes’ face.

If things looked bad for the home side, they got worse when Rob Dumbleton was sin-binned.

Barnes simply could not hold back the tide as Albanians scored nineteen points in just nine minutes as wing man James Spiers grabbed a brace, and Andrew Daish got a well deserved five pointer of his own.

Two conversions from Gregg took the final score to 45-7.

Barnes will be glad to have seen the back of Old Albanians, as the combined score from the two matches this season stands at 101-19 in favour of the men from Hertfordshire.