Old Wimbledonians 31 Andover 20 The Old Boys completed their season on Saturday with an outstanding performance against league strugglers Andover.

As a result, not only did OWs move towards the halfway point in the final league table, but also consigned a heavy and solid but cumbersome Andover side to relegation.

That much-looked-forward-to trip to Andover should not happen in 2010-11 season.

From the start, the home side decided the best tactic against a team of heavyweights was to run at them at every opportunity.

Early on, a penalty kick at goal was eschewed and the ball was spun wide to the right where, after a quick maul and recycle Robbie Westacott dived over for an unconverted try, his first for the Old Boys.

The home side continued in this vein, throwing the ball out wide regularly, each winger having a run, all the time the back line being well run by Matt Lucas this week operating at stand-off.

The re-appearance of Paul Galvin in the centre following his bout of hardening of the arteries added extra bite to the home midfield and he made several scything breaks downfield.

The home side maintained this attacking pressure and, from a free-kick centrefield, the forwards took the ball on , their superior technique enabling them to outmaul the heavier opposition, which led to Matt McHale scoring a try to the right of the posts, which Jason Murphy duly converted.

With just three minutes to the half-time break, the OW defence was caught napping by some good Andover interpassing and a converted try to the visitors resulted.

However, there still remained time for the Old Boys to launch one final attack from a poorly returned kick from the restart.

Galvin made one of his high-speed breaks following some deft OW handling and crash over out on the left.

Murphy was unable to convert leaving the midgame break poised at 17-7 to the OW.

The second period continued as before with some exciting running from the home backs, among whom Richard Travers at scrum-half was a constant threat to the visitors.

When not chipping ahead or going on one of his darting runs, his service to the men outside him was exemplary.

After five minutes of the new half, following a good home scrummage Travers picked up and darted over the line for a try that Murphy converted.

The Andover side, despite a good share of possession did not offer much threat, although the Old Boys were having to make many tackles on hard running forwards and backs.

In this respect, Cormac Healy, David Robertson and Alex Prew were magnificent in their defensive covering.

One further try was scored by the home backs when a move down the line going left ended with Paddy Donaghy who ran 20 yards, collected his own kick ahead and crashed over the line for a superb solo effort try, which again Murphy converted.

However, the home went to sleep thinking the game was over and won. Some lazy defence gave Andover two consolation tries in the last three minutes to give a rather false look to the eventual 31-20 score line.

This result gave a great send-off to skipper David Robertson, who has worked tirelessly for the OW, and set a fantastic example of 100 per cent on field effort.

We wish him luck in his new venture as an emigrant to Australia. This match was also notable for the fact that of the 18 players who took part 14 were formerly Wimbledon College boys. A good augury for the future!