Colchester’s disappointing run of defeats continued as they lost 25-38 to high-flying Dorking, but a highly encouraging second half performance lifted the spirits of the biggest crowd of the season at Raven Park.

Dorking ran in three tries in ten first half minutes, suggesting a painful afternoon to come for the hosts. But Colchester played their best rugby of the season after the break, winning the second period 22-19.

A challenging first eight games of their debut season in Nat 2 has not been helped by a horrible run of injuries. Nine first choice players were missing, not ideal when playing one of the favourites for promotion.

Long-time crowd favourites Alex Mitchell, Joe McMillan and Damien Brambley all featured, while former captain Liam Pickett played from the start. Cam Kerr, ahead of his 50th first team game, led out the team on a drizzly but windless day.
Colchester were three scores down inside 14 minutes as Dorking ran riot through tries from Jonnie Ellis, Tyler Norwood and Joe Andersen.

Connor O’Reilly looked to have pulled a score back, but his try was ruled out by the referee who spotted foul play in the build-up.

Dorking’s Tom Bloomer was binned for a high tackle following a promising break by Ross Taylor. Gabe Jones just missed from the resulting penalty, meaning his earlier goal was Colchester’s only score as they trailed 3-19 at the break.
With Brambley on for Mike Stanway at half time, the hosts suddenly found a new gear.

Faysal Olabooye broke strongly through the centre, passing to Callum Jeffery, the prop galloping in from 25 metres to make it 10-19 following Jones’s conversion.

Andersen scored his second to bring up Dorking’s bonus point, and Mitchell’s impressive shift at the coalface came to an end as he was replaced by Leroy O’Neil. Joe McMillan came on for Jeffery as Colchester freshened up the front row.

Charlie Friend and Francois Rossouw were involved in Olabooye’s well-taken try and just after the hour mark, Colchester had their third, Sam Easton getting the final touch to a maul from a line-out penalty to make it 20-26.

Frustratingly, Dorking scored direct from the restart as wing Max Coyle caught the Colchester defence napping.

Colchester had their third try bonus point of the season on 76 minutes as Corey Button, on for Fin Creighton, scored after good work by Danny Whiteman and O’Reilly.

But any hope of a second bonus point or even a win disappeared with Dorking’s sixth try, scored by George Jackson in the final play of the match.

“The boys showed want, they showed desire,” said head coach Craig Burrows. “Dorking weren’t comfortable when we got up in their faces. It’s a massive lifter for the boys from where we’ve been.”
Burrows welcomed the coming rest weekend as a chance to get some injured players back ahead of the trip to Westcombe Park on Saturday week.
“The bottom five teams are very tight. It’s building, and when that win comes it’s going to be a good five-point win.”
Charlie Friend took the player-of-the-match award from sponsors SRC while Callum Jeffery won the coaches’ gong, courtesy of The Lexden Crown.

On a bad day for Colchester, The Ravens lost 33-22 at Shelford 2s, the 3s went down 53-12 to Hadleigh and the 4s succumbed 44-7 to Mersea.