CURRENT SEASON REPORTS
Saturday 19th April
National 3 South
Havant 15 - 21 Clifton
So near but so far! The good guys did all they could do to mark Dave Healy's last game as head coach with survival in National 3 by winning an epic encounter at Hooks Lane. Just one more Clifton try, and there were two late chances, would have kept the team in the league and consigned our old friends at Havant to relegation given the surprise victory for Barking over league champions Mounts Bay. No doubt there will be eyebrows raised at the loss by Mounts Bay given their outstanding record this season. Read More ...
Saturday 12th April 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 26 - 0 Bridgwater & Albion
This was a must win game for Dave Healy's good guys and the side duly delivered a straightforward victory to keep the chances of national league survival alive. The thrashing at Barking was forgotten as a fired- up side easily overcame the Bridgwater resistance with a high-speed opening half of attacking rugby. Read more ...
Saturday 15th March 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 22 - 22 Cinderford
To those that did not make it to the game it would appear to be another game of two halves. Clifton were leading 22-5 at half time but second place Cinderford came back to secure a draw. In reality it was two different styles of play with Cinderford dominating possession and territory and Clifton showing pace and skill when they were able to move the ball, indeed, when they had the ball. Cinderford, after attempting to play a mixed game early on reverted to bashing it up through the forwards as the weather deteriorated. Read more ....
Saturday 8th March 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 21 - 17 North Walsham
This was a make or break game for both sides. For the home team this was the easiest of the remaining fixtures, with games to follow against four of the top five sides. For Clifton, with no away wins for over a year, there are still games to come at fellow relegation battlers Barking and Havant and it was therefore important to build on the win against Luton last week if survival was to be won at the end of the season. Read More ...
Saturday 1st March 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 31 - 5 Luton
A pinch and a punch for the first of the month and Clifton have given themselves a chance of avoiding relegation. This was a well-crafted and comfortable victory for the good guys who led from early on and applied the coupe de gras near the end to finish off the match and gain the bonus point. Read More...
Saturday 23rd February
National 3 South
Clifton 13 - 24 Lydney
Ultimately this was a game Clifton could, and possibly should, have won. They played the much brighter football throughout the game and but for a 10 minutes spell in the middle of the first half could have sprung a surprise victory. It was this period when Lydney used the physical power of the forward pack to set up and score 3 unanswered tries while Clifton suffered the loss through injury of second row Wayne McMillan and full back Gregg Setherton. 13 points in the second half was scant reward for the opportunities that were created by a strong midfield performance led by veteran Barney Kent... Read More...
Saturday 2nd February
National 3 South
Clifton 25 - 22 Barking
This was a must win game for the good guys after six defeats on the bounce. However some better recent performances and bonus points gained against both Canterbury and London Scottish gave hope of something better against a Barking team that had won its last two games to move out of the bottom three. This was the game in hand for both sides as the game finally went ahead at the fourth time of asking on a firm and well grassed pitch. Read More..
Saturday 26th January 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 11 -18 Canterbury
The rain finally relented to allow rugby to be played at Clifton for the first time in 2008 on Saturday when the home side came up against Canterbury, currently placed fourth in the league. This was always going to be a tough game for the home team which was again suffering from injury and unavailability. There was the welcome return from holiday of Ollie Sills but rather than slotting in to his position at 9 he took over from JB in the 10 jersey. Wayne McMillan had overcome his broken nose suffered at London Scottish last Saturday and started by taking over from Ryan Cox who has picked up an injury of his own. Sam Kent came back into the side at full back taking over from Greg Setherton who was again suffering from injury. Otherwise the team was unchanged from the 15 that fought so well to earn a bonus point at Scottish last week. Read More...
Saturday 19th January 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 26 - 60 London Scottish
Saturday 5th January 2008
National 3 South
Clifton 13 -39 Rosslyn Park
This was a game that Coach Dave Healy would have looked at as a potential win to try to fight the way out of the relegation zone. Ultimately it was an easy win for the home side but Clifton were well in the game at half time and had the opportunities in the second period. However the home side were able to pull away from the good guys in the second period as mistakes gifted the game to the hosts. Read More...
Saturday 24th November 2007
National 3 South
Clifton 5 - 53 Cinderford
Coach Dave Healy once again had to put out a re-fashioned side in the Forest on Saturday. The late withdrawal of Gregg Setherton allied to the non availability of John Barnes resulted in several changes in the back division. This meant Ollie Sills switched to fly half from the bending over position, and Sam Kent, originally selected at 10 moving into the centre next to brother Barney. Ollie Sacco took over the 9 jersey vacated by Ollie Sills. Read More...
Saturday 10th November 2007
National 3 South
Clifton 26 - 20 North Walsham
Well this was more like it! The casual watcher would never have believed this game was being played between the bottom two sides. It was a corker and included much quality rugby and for the good guys, the right result. Clearly playing at home is currently to the liking of the Clifton side with this result now showing four home wins including the National Trophy while on the road our old rivals North Walsham have failed to trouble the scorers.
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Saturday 3rd November 2007
National 3 South
Clifton 17 - 44 Luton
This was a return to the poor performance last seen at Ealing two weeks ago. What will disappoint the coaches however is that on paper this was a stronger Clifton team than the one that took the field then. The improvements seen last week in the game against Lydney, in particular the defensive effort, was almost non existent this week. As a result the game was thrown away in the first 15 minutes as Luton ran in for four tries.
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Saturday 28th October 2007
Clifton 22 - 20 Lydney
It has been a tough season so far and after last weeks disaster at Ealing it was important that Clifton were to put in both an improved performance and regain some pride. The injury list was at least a little shorter this week with John Barnes, John Levis, Greg Setherton and Paul Reid all returning to the match day squad. Tom Lambert reverted to hooker with Wanderers captain Graham Hardy starting at 7. Wayne McMillan started in the second row however as Ryan Cox was sidelined with a foot injury. In the backs JB started at 10 allowing Sam Kent to move back to full back and Greg Setherton took his position in the centre.
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Saturday 20th October 2007
National 3 South
Clifton 17 - 71 Ealing
Well we woke up with expectation in the air. No not because we were looking forward to our first foray to Ealing for a few years, but because it was World Cup Final day. As far as the Clifton game was concerned it was one to get out of the way. An injury list showing 22 members of the 45 registered players being injured, and one or two others not available, meant we had a Clifton team getting on the coach that was far from coach Dave Healys first choice. Indeed there was a concern that we would be unable to fulfil the fixture at all.
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Saturday 13th October 2007
EDF National Trophy
Clifton 46 - 19 Woodford
Well this was fun! Clifton were hosting a team founded by Clifton members in the 1920’s wearing the same kit as Clifton and with brothers opposing each other. We also had a first for Clifton with Clare Daniels taking charge of a Clifton first team game and being in spite of being confronted with such similar colours, the change kits were even more similar, doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances. What we do know is that we had a game played in great spirit and with plenty of tries to keep the crowd entertained.
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Saturday 15th September 2007
National 3 South
Clifton 27 - 31 Rosslyn Park
Those long standing members of the club are aware of the ability by Clifton to self destruct that has existed in the past. This was a return to those bad old days on Saturday as a comfortable lead of 27 points to 8 was thrown away as the team collectively stopped playing. While this does a disservice to Rosslyn Park, they had been a poor side until the shock of Clifton's last try finally shook them up and with a change at half back they finally gained some composure in their attacking game.
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Saturday 1st September
National 3 South
Clifton 23 - 12 Havant
The real action started on Saturday and the good guys managed a win first game up to provide the loyal fans with an early win to start the season. Playing against a Havant team shorn of many of their star players but with the usual physical approach up front Dave Healy's side overcame a difficult first 20 minutes and survived a 10-minute second half siege to produce all the fluent rugby and take the win that their endeavour deserved.
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