Tindal at the treble for Fakenham

Fakenham’s 11th league fixture saw them make the long journey to Mersea Island to take on a team that had beaten them twice in the league last season.With Storm Darragh causing chaos in the west, there was still plenty of wind, rain and low temperatures on Mersea Island to make for some interesting playing conditions.The home side got off to a flying start, scoring a try within a few minutes, though it was unconverted.Fakenham levelled things up through Tom Bane-Young, playing his second game of the season at the unfamiliar position of scrum-half.His half-back partner Lloyd Marshall then slotted the conversion to give the away side a two-point lead.A quarter of an hour later, Mersea retook the lead with a converted try of their own.However, a flurry of scores before half-time gave Fakenham the advantage. Two converted Murray Tindal tries, playing back at the more familiar role of full-back after the foray into the forwards in recent weeks, sandwiched a penalty kick for Marshall, put the away side 24-12 ahead at the break. Mersea took the initiative after the restart, again getting a quick score, this time just two minutes into the second period.The successful conversion brought them within five points.Ten minutes later they scored another try to even things up. The conversion attempt to retake the lead was unsuccessful, leaving it 24-24. It was that man Tindal who found the decisive score, completing his hat-trick with ten minutes remaining and Marshall was unable to add the extras on this occasion – his only missed kick.Fakenham managed to hold out for the final ten minutes, happily greeting the final whistle that confirmed their victory, with the score 24-29. A great result, a bonus point victory on the road after a long bus journey. Fakenham were happy to have overturned the results from last season.Thanks to the club members/supporters who put the bus on so the team, staff and fans could travel down together.The Barsham Brewery Man of the Match went to Tom Bane-Young for the second game in a row, for being annoyingly quite good at scrum-half, according to captain Adam Lingwood.On Saturday, Fakenham host Thurston at the Stringer Ground. Fakenham after winning a tight game between the two sides in September.