Despite windy conditions making kicking very tough, Colchester's James Gee held his nerve to slot home a last-gasp 30-yard penalty conversion to give the home side a three-point win.
It was Gee who put the first points on the board with an eighth minute penalty, but Rochford gradually started to win some good possession which led to their opening try underneath the posts.
They extended their lead after 20 minutes with a 40-metre drop-goal, but it was Colchester who scored next when wing Tyrone De Silva got outside his opposite number to touch down.
It was the visitors who had the final say in the first half with a second drop-goal, but three minutes after the restart Gee kicked a penalty to reduce the arrears to two points.
Rochford extended their lead from a five-metre scrum which saw Norris pick up and charge for the line and, despite four players trying to stop him, he forced himself over. The try was converted.
Rochford had their tails up and they slotted over another penalty for a 23-11 lead with 15 minutes to go, and things were beginning to look desperate for Colchester.
But the home side took the game to Rochford, winning a couple of crucial lineouts against the throw, and pinning them back in their 22.
The ball was spun out to fly-half Mark Sawtell who crossed the line and make the score 23-16 with ten minutes left.
From the kick-off Colchester centre Mike Fields made a break and was brought down three metres short, but with the Rochford defence in disarray scrum half Gee passed out to the left where lock Martin Brown was on hand to trot unopposed over the line. Gee's conversion levelled the scores at 23-23 with four minutes plus injury time remaining.
Rochford were now looking a little ragged, and Colchester ran the ball at the defence who conceded a penalty 30 metres from the line, but straight in front of the posts.
Gee had converted just three out of eight attempts with the wind having made things difficult, but he lined up the kick and made no mistake in what was the last action of the game.
Published Tuesday, October 5, 2004
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