Stoke scored 48 unanswered points with an eight try performance against a spirited Sutton outfit. In doing so Patterson scored a hat trick, Kelly crossed for a brace and notched up his 20^th try for the season and Humberstone broke the 200 point barrier for the season.

            The Champion backed side started at a frenetic pace in wet conditions and whilst they had plenty of possession and territorial advantage no real pattern of play materialised and numerous errors were causing frustration. Several penalties were awarded to the home side but they chose to run the ball or kick for the corners rather than look for the 3 points.

            The pressure should have led to a score on 10 minutes but a clear overlap was wasted when a player took contact instead of utilising the spare man outside. Finally on 20 minutes the 1^st try of the afternoon was scored. A scum 10 metres out was won and the forwards went down the blind side before re-cycling the ball open for Posthumus to breech the defence for a try and Humberstone converting for a 7-0 advantage.

            On 28 minutes a quick penalty on half way saw Fish make ground and good support from Drawbridge and then Gleadowe saw Patterson receive a simple pass to score his 1^st of the day with Humberstone adding the extras for a 14-0 lead.

            Pressure continued to be applied by the home side which saw the visitors full back being shown a yellow card on 37 minutes. Stoke took advantage of the extra man a minute later when a scrum was won and the ball passed open. From the ensuing ruck quick ball allowed play to be switched down the blind side where Patterson made the most of the space available due to the opponents’ lack of a covering full back for an unconverted try and extend the lead to 19-0.

            From the re-start Hoare gathered the ball and went on a charging run of 30 metres to find support on his inside and some clever passing saw Patterson score his 3^rd try to leave the half time score 24-0 and a bonus point in the bag.

            The second half saw early pressure from Stoke and was rewarded with a try on 49 minutes when Gleadowe ghosted through a gap to score an unconverted try and see the score line of 29-0. There then followed a period of scrappy play as the weather deteriorated with a deluge descending and mistakes being made by both sides.

            It was not until the 67^th minute that the next score came for the home side. Following aerial ping pong Stoke found themselves on their own 22 and launched a counter attack with space out wide. The ball eventually found Kelly to round off the move in typical fashion for his 1^st of the day and the home side now led 34-0.

            On 75 minutes Stoke once more found themselves on their own 22 and again decided to run the ball. Good hands from forwards and backs once more ended with another simple run in for Kelly and with Humberstone adding the extras the advantage was now 41-0.

            On 77 minutes Stoke again found themselves on their own 22 but chose to clear the ball down field. Kelly gave chase and charged down the Sutton kick with the ball bouncing off a defender into touch. Stoke won their own ball and after several phases Horne was able to skip his way over for the final score of the game and a simple conversion from Humberstone leaving the result at 48-0 in a game that saw some unchallenged dominance from the home side for periods of the game.

            Afterwards Crocker added “I thought the 1^st 15 minutes we were inaccurate with our play which led to mistakes and were very flat in our alignment which did not help matters. Although we scored some late tries we started to force proceedings which led to missed opportunities. In between those 2 periods we did a thoroughly professional job in some poor conditions at times. To score 8 tries in any game is good and it is always nice to keep a clean sheet against anybody. We need to build on this performance for our run in to the end of the season”

            Stoke managed to grind out a win against a very determined Dover side scoring the winning try with only 5 minutes left of the match. With their last 3 games showing free flowing rugby this was a stuttering performance by Stoke but one that they could have lost earlier in the season.

            The Champion backed Stoke side showed their willingness to play open rugby when on 2 minutes, following a turn over on half way May-Miller made a neat break to feed Kelly. The leagues top try scorer eluded several tackles before the last defender managed to force him into touch 5 metres out. After that it was the visitors who pressurised the home side into making mistakes and could of opened the scoring on 5 minutes when they missed a penalty.

            With no real pattern to the game and both sides defending with good aggressive play each side were forced into making mistakes and on 10 minutes Stoke opened the scoring with a Humberstone penalty following an indiscretion from the visitors and a 3-0 lead.

            The 1^st period of any pressure came on 20 minutes when Stoke spent time in their opponents 22 and were rewarded with a try. Following a lineout then a scum close to the line Stoke had another lineout which secured them good ball. They drove infield before coming back blind for Staszniewicz to dive for the corner and the ref award the try. If this had been at the highest level the T.V. replay would definitely have been called for, but to their creditDover accepted the decision without any back chat, and Stoke led 8-0.

            The home side had a repeat opportunity on the half hour mark following 2 more 5 metre line outs but lost the chance by giving away a needless penalty for the visitors to clear their lines.

            With half time approaching it was the visitors who were applying pressure and scored a converted try after Humberstone was shown a yellow card for taking a player out whilst in the air and a response from Dover’s 2^nd row saw him also have a 10 minute rest. From the penaltyDover kicked into the Stoke 22 to secure possession from the ensuing lineout. Recycling the ball well they scored under the post and now trailed 8-7.

            The 2^nd half started with the visitors on top and making the most of Stokes errors. The home side lost the ball in contact on the visitor’s 10 metre line on 42 minutes and a counter attack byDover was halted 5 metres from the Stoke line and conceding a penalty in the process.Dover kept the pressure on and only good defence stopped them from scoring.

            On 47 minutes the visitors had the chance to take the lead. Stoke lost their own lineout and then conceded a penalty which the visitors missed to still trail by a single point.

            Stoke then had a 10 minute period where they managed to extend the lead with 2 penalties. The 1^st on 50 minutes following a penalty which Fish took a quick tap but Dover were not 10 meters  so another penalty was given and Humberstone (now back on from his card) converted for an 11-8 lead. The 2^nd came on 57 minutes and started just outside the Stoke 22 with a lovely break by Humberstone who then sent Posthumus on his way. He was tackled on the visitors 22 but before Stoke could recycle the ball theDover defence was penalised and Humberstone added another 3 points and a 14-7 lead.

            On 65 minutes Stoke were once again applying pressure with a scrum10 metres out but the backs were penalised andDovercleared to touch on the half way. The won the ball and made progress up the field and rounded things off with a converted try to draw level at 14-14.

            It was not until the 75^th minutes that Stoke managed to break through the solidDover defence to score the decisive try. Play started on the half way and good interchange between forwards and backs saw the ball with Kelly on the 22. A jinking run saw him elude the defence to score in the corner and a good conversion out wide from Humberstone gave the home side a 21-14 advantage which was to prove the final score.

            Afterward head coach Croker added “That was what you call an ugly win but more importantly it was a win which keeps our momentum going. To be fairDoverput us under pressure at times and credit to the way they played. We were never allowed to settle into our stride and as a result we never got our patterns of play working. We will watch the DVD and that will confirm the areas we need to work on during training before next weeks game away atChichester.”

            Champion backed Stoke showed little effects of their long journey to Thanet as they extended their winning streak to 4 games in a row and running in another 7 tries in the process.

            Stoke hit the ground running and were on the score sheet within a minute. Stoke won the ball from the kick off and Hicks drove up the middle.Daviswas in support and then quick hands from the backs saw Gleadowe score and a Humberstone conversion gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.

            Stoke extended their lead on 6 minutes after the forwards won a Thanet line out and setting up a maul which pulled in the home defence. The ball was then spun wide where an overlap had been created for leading try scorer Kelly to touch down in the corner and a 12-0 lead.

            Having gained an early advantage Stoke once again seemed to relax and allow Thanet to come back into the game. Stoke were penalised for being off side and the home team kicked for the corner. They duly won the ball and set up a maul and drove forward before changing the point of attack to create an opening which they crashed trough for an unconverted try and now trail 12-5.

            The rest of the 1^st half lacked the intensity of the opening period as Stoke gave away numerous penalties and letting the home pack dominate the game pushing Stokes defence to the limit as Thanet played to their strengths. Stoke rear guard performance held strong and there were no more score to leave the visitors with a narrow 12-5 margin.

            The 2^nd half started in much the same vein as the 1stas Posthumus broke the gain line and quick hands saw a scoring pass knocked on short of the line. From the resultant scrum Stoke pushed Thanet off the ball and as it collapsed the ball popped up to Fish to dive over the line to extend the lead to 17-5 on 42 minutes.

            Thanet were up for the challenge though and keeping the ball tight in their pack meant Stoke had to defend their line. When the home side were given a penalty 5 metres out they took a quick tap and pushed the defence back to score a converted try and now trail 17-12 on 47 minutes.

            Stoke now seemed to step up a gear putting pressure on the home side. Humberstone made a neat break before feeding to Patterson who made ground to the 22. Drawbridge was 1^st in support and then Davis who moved the ball quickly out to Posthumus to crash over and a Humberstone conversion made it 24-12 on 56 minutes.

            As with last week Stoke sensed that applying more pressure and not relaxing would bring rewards with more tries to follow. On 60 minutes Patterson broke the line before passing to Kelly who ran down the line, skipping through several tackles to score and with Humberstones’ conversion extended the lead to 31-12.

            Thanet did not give up and their persistence was rewarded on 70 minutes as they took the ball through several phases via the forwards and as a gap opened up they drove through the hole for an unconverted try and now trail31-17.

            Stoke bounced back 5 minutes later as backs and forwards combined through several phases of play having successfully retained the ball before releasing young May-Miller to score in the corner and a 36-17 lead. With just 3 minutes left Stoke got their final try of the day following a collapsed scrum on Thanet’s 5 metre line. Captain for the day, Will Ford, took a quick tap to feed Humberstone who offloaded to Fish to spin over the line for his 2^nd try of the game and with Humberstone adding the extras to bring the final score to 43-17.

            Afterward Captain Will Ford added “We had to overcome a few obstacles in the 1^st half and never really got into our stride. We re-grouped at half time and upped the tempo in the 2^nd half. Once we started to play to our patterns we looked very good and our confidence levels rose. As a result the tries came and we got the result we were aiming for. I am very proud of the boys and to come away with a winning bonus point is always good. We need to take this performance forward to next week and keep the high standards we are setting into that match”

            Stoke eventually ran out comfortable winners against local rivalsPortsmouthby 46-6; scoring 6 tries in the process. In a game that started slowly it ended with the Champion backed side playing some exuberant rugby and for once putting their opponents to the sword with 3 tries in the last 15 minutes. Patterson scored a try in each half and Humberstone scored a brace in his match haul of 26 points helping Stoke to the winning total.

            The early pressure came from the home side without being able to put pressure into points and 2 missed penalties on 2 and 5 minutes did not help but Humberstone made amends on 8 minutes with a successful penalty and a 3-0 lead.

            The visitors had their number 8 yellow carded but Stoke could not take advantage of the extra man and it was the visitors who scored during this period to level 3-3 on 23 minutes.

            Stoke eventually scored their 1^st try on 28 minutes. Humberstone put a penalty to the corner which the forwards duly won and drove the ball to the line. With thePortsmouth forwards trying to stop the maul Fish spotted a gap which he exploited to score from close range and a Humberstone conversion making it 10-3.

            Stokes ill discipline this season continued whenDaviswas penalised for hands in the ruck and shown a yellow card whichPortsmouthconverted for 3 points and cut the deficit to 10-6.

            It was Stoke who had the final say of the half on 40 minutes with Fish taking a quick penalty and a race to the 22. Support was at hand and the ball eventually found Patterson to touch down and a half time score of 15-6.

            Stoke started the 2^nd half with renewed vigour and had the visitors under pressure straight away and scored on 44 minutes. Following 2 scrums 10 metres out and several drives from the forwards the ball was released to the backs. Humberstone dummied left then right to create a gap to go through unscathed to score and added the conversion for the home side to now lead 22-6.

            Stoke then had their customary spell of “switching off” time but this week did not allow their opponents to claw their way back in the game although they did miss 2 penalties on 49 and 60 minutes. In between Humberstone slotted a penalty on 55 minutes to give Stoke a 25-6 lead.

            With 20 minutes remaining and the bonus point 4^th try still not reached Stoke settled down to play some of their best rugby this year. They were now dominant in all areas of the game and most of the play being in thePortsmouth half or 22.

            Varying the point of attack was the key element and this allowed Stoke to keep the ball alive and complete several phases of play which were draining their opponents who were visibly tiring. The vital break through came on 67 minutes when forwards and backs combined in a rampaging spell of pressure for Fish to put Humberstone over for his 2^nd try.  He then added the conversion extending the lead to 32-6.

            Having been told by the coaches and the captain about not being able to finish off sides following last weeks performance the team went about rectifying this and did so in style. Sensible use of the ball again saw Stoke make inroads into the visitors defence and was again rewarded with another try on 72 minutes. Several phases of play again saw Stoke get to 10 metres out and Humberstone gave a sublime inside pass to Patterson who cut a superb line to score untouched and with Humberstone adding the conversion the lead was now 39-6.

            Stoke still piled on the pressure and got their final score on 80 minutes. Following a scrum Stoke once more put together some lovely rugby to finish the game off with Drawbridge crashing over for a try & Humberstone adding the extras and a final score of 46-6.

            Afterwards a delighted Croker added “That was a very impressive 2^nd half performance where we actually went about finishing our opponents off. Whereas the 1^st half we were a bit ponderous and not putting together any real patterns or phases. The 2^nd half we were clinical by taking our scoring opportunities and a lot more accurate with our passing and offloads. The spine of the team (2,8,9 and 10) played well and this enabled others to play off them to enable us to play some impressive rugby.”  

Champion backed ‘Stoke came through a tough battle away to Beckenham to walk away with a bonus point win, without conceding a losing bonus point.  A hat trick from youngster May Miller and a high conversion rate of opportunities to points was the basis for a much needed win that brought the visitors back within touching distance of a play off place in the league.  After 10 minutes of solid defending ‘Stoke finally got their hands on the ball and attacked from deep inside their own 22, good hands from the backs and raw pace from youngster Miller and Paterson proved enough to get ‘Stoke their reward for a good defensive effort.  Humberstone’s conversion extended the lead to 7-0.  Beckenham came back again and spent more time camped inside the ‘Stoke 22, and on 18 minutes, captain Young was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle.  After yet more sustained pressure form the home side Beckenham were awarded with a penalty in front of the posts, which they converted for their first points of the match 3-7.  This seemed to be the wakeup call ‘Stoke needed and on 20 minutes, good strength from Gleadowe and a smart offload, allowed May Miller to score in the corner for an 8-12 lead.  Following ten minutes of play in the Beckenham half, ‘Stoke finally turned preassure into points when after multiple phases of possession retained by the forwards, the backs were released and Humberstone ran a short line to go through under the posts unopposed.  Humberstone added the extra’s for a 3-19 lead.  After constant pressure from the home side, resolute defending from stoke finally gave way, when a slipped tackle in the midfield allowed the home side to break clear and score in the corner.  The conversion was missed and the score remained  8-19.  After an arm wrestle for dominance, ‘Stoke came out on top when following a period of possession and a quick tap penalty from Fish, and a long miss pass from Humberstone, saw May Miller cross in the corner for his second and ‘Stokes 4th of the game and a bonus point in the bag.  A missed conversion left the score at 8-24.  ‘Stoke started the second half in fine form and on 42 minute, Horne ran through a gaping hole in the home defence and was left with only the full back to beat, which he did with ease and scored under the posts to make Humberstone’s conversion a near certainty.  The extras were added and the score line read 8-31.  As has been the case so often with this young ‘Stoke side, as soon as the game appeared to be won, they switched off.  This combined with a step up in effort from Beckenham saw the home side have a large spell of territory and possession, which following ill discipline from the ‘Stoke side gave them a great attacking opportunity with lineout on the visitors five metre line.  A catch and drive was ordered and they crossed the line with worrying ease to leave the score at 13-31.  This seemed to give the home side a renewed energy and for the following ten minutes, ‘Stoke barely touched the ball.  On 64 minutes, this possession finally brought rewards when again poor midfield defence allowed the home side to cross in the corner to bring the score back to 18-31 and there was now less than two scores between the sides.  Finally the visitors got a foothold in the half when a smart kick set up good field position deep in the home side’s territory.  Good follow up pressure from Gardner forced a turnover and quick hands allowed May miller to cross in the corner for the youngster’s hat trick on 78 minutes to leave the score at 18-36.  Following the game Croker was in a mixed mood unable to complain with a bonus point win away from home against a tough side, yet hugely frustrated knowing once again a far inferior side were made to look by his sides lack of killer instinct and inability to close out a game which could of been won by half time.

Team: John, Bird (Staszkiewicz 47), Young, Brougham, Drawbridge, Hicks, Horne (Hore 47), Ford, Fish, Mortem (Gardner 65), Kelly, Humberstone, Gleadowe, May Miller, Paterson.