Wisbech deliver strong display at Mildenhall in County Cup quarter-final victory

A strong Wisbech team booked their place in the last four of the Cambridgeshire County Cup.

The Men in Red knew they faced a tough challenge at Mildenhall.

The first half proved to be a scrappy affair, the Men in Red’s lack of patience and Mildenhall’s resolute defence disrupting Wisbech’s attacking rhythm and forcing errors in key areas.

Despite struggling to find fluency, Wisbech’s standout performer and Elgoods man of the match, Tomasi Andrea, proved instrumental in breaking through the stubborn Mildenhall defence, scoring a brilliant hat-trick.

The hosts must at times have thought there were three of him on the pitch, such was his impact.

However, poor handling and miscommunication after line breaks prevented Wisbech from fully capitalising on their attacking opportunities.

Mildenhall took advantage of this, finding a foothold in the game with a well-worked try of their own.

Nevertheless, Wisbech continued to break through the opposition, crossing the whitewash multiple times to take a 33-10 lead at half-time.

A chastening half-time talk from director of rugby Leonard Veenendaal seemed to spark Men in Red into action and the familiar Wisbech game plan and structures started to unfold.

The second half saw a much sharper and more clinical performance, with Wisbech asserting dominance while shutting out Mildenhall completely.

Harry Newman, making his return to the first team, marked the occasion in style with a hat trick of his own, showcasing his finishing ability.

Lucas Hardy impressed on the wing with his blistering pace, while Olly Murdoch, despite a spell in the sin bin, also finished well.

Ari Bagdouyan, MJ Wright, and Luke Hare all added their names to the scoresheet, rounding off an emphatic team performance.

At the full-time whistle, Wisbech’s second-half intensity proved too much for a hardworking Mildenhall side, securing a convincing 10-67 victory and their place in the County Cup semi-finals when they host St Ives at Harecroft road on April 12.

On Saturday, Wisbech will be in action in their final home league match when they welcome Wymondham 2nds to Harecroft Road (3pm).