Lady Luck who has not been smiling much on the Stags this season at last puckered her lips at no side on this occasion. She had again been fickle though as, even if this somewhat unlikely last gasp win had undeniably come with a sizeable dollop of good fortune, the signs of where her favours really lay had been much more mixed earlier.

A half time lead of 17-6 remained the same with 30 minutes to play with the visitors’ pack calling more of the shots up front but the Stags’ backs by and large the more threatening. Then came what should have been the turning point of the game and a very unwelcome one for the Stags at that: prop Sam Glasson was red carded for some seemingly pretty innocuous footwork following an attacking line-out and this put a very different complexion on their prospects for the rest of the game.

Scrum time had not been particularly comfortable before that and this was a hammer blow. Before long Gravesend had scored twice to take the lead 17-18 and their forwards now had a definite extra spring in their step. How things eventually ended up as they did was something of a mystery, particularly as the Stags ‘ share of further yellow cards was such that they were actually two men down on their opponents for the majority of the remaining period including the critical last few minutes.

Before that frantic finale CS’s outnumbered pack had somehow lifted themselves off the canvas to get some driving play together culminating in centre Sam Emery being driven over ( 24-18) , followed by an exchange of penalties for 27-21, but in truth the Stags were in the game by the skin of their teeth only and - with two men down again now - a further Gravesend score seemed inevitable.

It came with just five minutes to go from unstoppable forward pressure from a 5 metre line-out and when the conversion was slotted from the touch-line that seemed to be that. It was in truth remarkable that the Stags had held out for so long. CS’s re-start kick-off straight into touch suggested that all was indeed over but Gravesend were penalised at the ensuing 8 against 6 man scrum that they were putting into and although the long penalty attempt missed at least there was still a chance to regain possession.

Possession once secured, the Stags laid desperate siege again but Gravesend seemed to be up to the task until a moment of crass indiscipline – and lamented roundly and loudly as such in best Anglo-Saxon by one Gravesend adherent on the touch line – gave the Stags a penalty more or less in front of the posts. George Strang stepped up to do the needful to steal back a game that had appeared only a few minutes ago to be more or less impossible for Gravesend to lose. The Stags could toast Lady Luck after all!

CS 1863 scorers:

Tries:

Unseld
O’ Halloran (2)
Emery

Cons:

Strang (2)

Pens

Strang (2)