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With both sides taking maximum points from their opening two games sharing nineteen tries this had all the makings of a great game, sadly it was an eighty minute struggle between the packs with Dings loosing out to the much heavier Barking eight for long periods. Try scoring opportunities were few and far between and the match was settled by the visitors stand off Craig Ratford who landed five from six penalties and a drop goal. Disrupted by the late loss of prop Chas Meddick and No 8 Gavin Curry the Dings pack failed to secure enough good ball to exploit an undoubted edge in the backs.

The visitors opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a penalty from Ratford cancelled out a minute later by Dings stand off Adam Westall who added a second penalty on fourteen minutes this time cancelled out by Ratford on seventeen minutes for a 6-6 after the first quarter.

The first quarter set the scene for the match with Barking winning the forward battle but unwilling or unable to move the ball and Dings defending stoutly. Dings cause was not helped when scrum half Ricky Jones was sin binned on twenty minutes with Ratford landing the resultant penalty for 9-6 to the visitors. The Barking pack led by giant lock Tim Collier got well on top in the second quarter but despite camping on the Dings line for long periods they failed to get over the try line with the Dings eight well marshalled by skipper Stean Williams all defending brilliantly. Inevitably all the pressure produced a penalty for Ratford to extend the visitors lead to 12-6 two minutes before halftime, on the stroke of halftime Adam Westall had a penalty chance to reduce the arrears but his kick went wide.

The second half went much the same way as the first with Dings defending for long periods deep in their own half and Barking still unwilling to spread the ball to their backs. On the rare occasions that Dings secured good ball there was a glimpse of what could have been with breaks by centre Alex Dancer and Jack Gadd making good ground and a flowing move from their own twenty that two saw full back Orlando Stott just caught deep in the Barking twenty two with a last ditch tackle from wing David Vincent.

Dings reduced the arrears to 9-12 on the hour with a penalty from Adam Westall after missing one from a similar range, but it was Barking who took the spoils with a seventy-three minute penalty and a last minute drop goal to deny Dings a bonus point that perhaps their magnificent rearguard action deserved.   

 Scorers:

Dings – Westall  3P

Barking – Ratford 5P 1 DG

Dings Man of the Match – Flanker Mitch Quoi

Rich Grant.