Grove 30, Oakmeadians 15

Grove continued their rapid climb up the club rugby pyramid with a convincing victory in their Southern Counties play-off at Cane Lane on Saturday.

A burst of scoring just before half-time, during which Oakmeadians had a player sent off, secured Grove's third promotion in four years.

But for a defeat by Salisbury in last year's play-off between the runners-up in the respective North and South divisions, it could have been three promotions in successive seasons. However, after a nervous spell in the first half, Grove made no mistake this time and so deservedly join North champions Oxford Harlequins in South West Division 2 East next season.

Playing with a brisk breeze at their backs, Grove raced into a 9-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, thanks to three penalties from five attempts by outstanding young full back Nick Sevier.

However, the visitors from Bournemouth rallied strongly.

After missing a penalty in front of the posts, Oakmeadians got on the scoresheet when full back Isi Tuvai, who started this season with Henley, darted through a gap in the home defence for an unconverted try.

Grove still led only 9-5 at the start of first-half injury time. The game was won and lost in the next five minutes.

First prop James Eckert's charging run proved unstoppable from a well-rehearsed penalty move, ten metres from the Oakmeadians line.

Two minutes later, flanker Ben Nicholl chased Ben Dean's well-judged kick ahead. After catching Oakmeadians in possession, Nicholl fed the loose ball to winger Chris Thomas, who touched down in the corner.

Worse was to follow for the visitors when flanker Tim Flower was sent off for stamping on Thomas at a ruck.

Sevier rubbed salt in the wound by landing the resultant penalty to give Grove a 22-5 half-time lead.

Winger Andy Dane kicked a penalty for 14-man Oakmeadians early in the second half, but Grove, with flanker Mike Turner a huge presence in the loose, were never going to reliquish their lead, and Sevier replied in kind.

They sealed their victory with a spectacular try 15 minutes from time. Fly half Dean started the counter-attack from his own 22 with a trademark shimmy and break, and centre Ali James finished it off with a sprint to the left corner.

James, an inspirational captain, was overcome with emotion as he returned to halfway, in the knowledge that his side had come good when it mattered most.

A late interception try by Oakmeadians' fly half James Harman, converted by Dane, could not dampen the celebrations of Grove's home-grown team and most of the near 400 crowd at the end of a memorable season.

Grove: Sevier, Thomas (Hall 42), James, Wood, Hudson, Dean, Maryon, Eckert, Barbour, Wood (S Maryon 53), Evans, Weaving, Turner (Few 74-77), Nicholl, Smart.