Another match winning performance

Disruption to Gss plans before the game had started, with one player not getting to the ground and changes to the starting line-up at the last minute.
A slow start for Gss as the home XV came out of the blocks quickly and had a couple of early opportunities to put scores on the board, but penalty chances by Ross Cooke went adrift.
Having settled down in the first twenty minutes, Gss composure was back on track and the accurate boot of Dave Dorton put them in front 0-3 at the end of the first quarter.
It was noticeable that Gss were here to enjoy their rugby as they combined to keep the home side guessing from where they would come from next.
Good passing out of hand as the tackles came in, and the constant awareness of the need to get close for the off-load, and the score eventually came as Aaron Rayner skipped past and around the defence to touch down. Dorton added the conversion that took Gss into a comfortable 0-10 advantage.
Great game control and platform set by the hard working forwards, and the big hits from Cameron Barbour on the opposition when they did have the ball.
Carries by Geoff Marshall, Ziggy Stevens and Thomas Bird, being backed up by the speedy Matt Hewitt and the ball was allowed to flow more freely, and had it not been for some huge defensive efforts by the home XV, Gss would have been out of sight.
A long pass wide to catch Maidstone with little defence, was intercepted by Matt Moore who raced in for an easy score. Cooke added the conversion from in front of the posts to give the home side a very flattering closure to 7-10.
On thirty-five minutes, a long range penalty kick from Dorton dropped short of the cross bar, but just one minute later, the marauding, Geoff Marshall outwitted the opposition to chase across the white wash. Dorton's conversion lifted the difference to 7-17 at the interval.
Although in control of the set pieces, both scrum and line-out, and setting plenty of ball to the backs, the constant failure to notice or penalise the home backs that were in front of the back foot at the breakdown, allowed them to be in close attention as the ball went along the line. Another interception by a player in an offside position saw Stones cross the line again, with the conversion closing to 14-17, this was followed by a third home try, this time not grounded but allowed, to see Gss slip behind 19-17.
Gss kept their cool and their shape to quietly take control of the situation they now found themselves in. Good ball retention, massive carries and off-loading again led to the young Aaron Rayner to put his name on the scoreboard with his second of the afternoon as he took the final pass from Rhys Betts.
Dave Dorton was yet again on target as the advantage was again in the visitors camp, 19-24.
Great use of the second level of attack,, looping and the double dummy saw Gss attacking the home twenty-two relentlessly, and it wasn't long before the next score was to come.
The ball having passed through several pairs of hands, recycled and worked again but continued infringements led to two further Dorton penalties which gave Gss a positive 19-30 score line.
The last twelve minutes were not the prettiest as Maidstone were desperately trying to get back into the game, which they didn't have as much influence as the referee, but their illegal work in the "red zone" saw three forwards get their chance to spend ten minutes in the sin bin, but there was no penalty try.
Four points from this win keeps Gravesend in sixth place in the London 1 South East division just a point behind Cobham and one point in front of Havant.
Next week a rest week, before Gss entertain Sevenoaks on 22 October.