Aylesbury Athletic 3 pts Phoenix 56 pts

A competition that Phoenix have contested over that last three years, managing to be runners up on all three occasions. Phoenix Club Captain Edd Dibb is determined that he will do all that he can to go one step further this season.
Aylesbury Athletic are a young side and struggled to cope with the power of the Phoenix pack. The match started however with Phoenix very much on the back foot as they took a full fifteen minutes to gather themselves. Aylesbury Athletic managed to send two penalty goals in good kicking positions wide of the mark during this period. The Phoenix pack began to find its feet and Duncan Wardle controlled the lineouts. The Phoenix back row of Mitchel, Watkinson and Harris cut down a lively Aylesbury Athletic half-back pairing before they could gather any pace. Suddenly from broken play, Phoenix centre Chris Laidlaw broke through to feed Alex Walsh inside for the opening score. Laidlaw certainly had his kicking boots on and slotted the conversion from the touchline. The Phoenix pack began to take even more control and Laidlaw broke clean through again to score beneath the posts; the conversion was a formality and Phoenix, having been pinned inside their own 22 for much of the opeining quarter were sitting on a 14 point lead. There was more to come and Watkinson crossed for a third Phoenix try again wide out but Laidlaw converted superbly to turn the screw on Aylesbury Athletic. Duncan Wardle then came into the attack for Phoenix and barged his way over from short range to take his side to a 25 point lead at the break.
It was essential for Aylesbury Athletic to strike first in the second half but sadly for them, the Phoenix back row struck first. Tom Aslet drove on and Rob Mitchell took his chance to cross beneath the posts. Bradley Coomber and Luke Sutcliff came on for Edd Dibb and Dave Harris both retiring with worrying injuries ahead of next weeks important Phoenix league match against Alchester. By this time the result of the match was not in question but Ayesbury Athletic kept their work rate up and Phoenix had to work for their scores. Wing three-quarter Adam McMillan figured in a penalty try and then scored a try of his own before Rob Mitchell finished things off for the visitors at 56 points. It is worthy to note that without the superb kicking of their centre Chris Laidaw, Phoenix would have scored 21 points less