Supermarine recovery is a big bonus (From Swindon Advertiser)

Supermarine recovery is a big bonus

7:00am Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Rugby By Andy Warren

SUPERMARINE recovered from a first-half scare to romp to a 59-5 bonus-point victory away at Dorset & Wilts 1 North basement boys Bath Saracens.

Marine looked to be easing to victory after taking the lead through a Pete Mabbott try inside the first 10 minutes, but they struggled to pull away from the league’s bottom club and ended up going in at 7-5 at half time despite controlling possession.

Their problems got worse at the start of the second period when Pete Mabbott was sent to the sin bin, but in the 10 minutes while he was off the field Marine scored two tries to all-but end the game as a contest.

They eventually cut loose to run in a further six tries, but joint head coach Sean Millwaters, who grabbed two scores himself, admitted his side had not expected such a spirited Bath performance.

“In our heads we were playing a team that gets hammered every week, and I think we were guilty of thinking it would just happen for us, rather than us have to work for it,” he said.

“We are better than that week in week out, but this time the weather was really bad and the pitch was boggy, but we can’t use that as an excuse.

“I don’t think Bath had anything to lose, and that really showed in the first 40 minutes. We scored really early and I think we thought it would be easy from then on, but Bath didn’t let up, but other than the try they didn’t really trouble our line.

“Alan (Milton) being sent to the bin really gave us the kick we needed, because we soon realised all of their weaknesses. We scored twice while he was off, and after that it all just clicked and to score 52 points in the second half was some achievement for us.”

Despite spending 10 minutes on the sidelines Milton scored two tries to take his season’s tally to 16, while Mabbott added to his early score as Stuart Dawson and George Cowley grabbed one each.

Dawson also kicked seven conversions, before evergreen coach Tony Brown came off the bench to run in a rare try of his own.