Sat 29 Nov 2025
Despite the heavy and slippy conditions after a days worth of rain both sides produced an entertaining game with another hat trick for flying winger Josh Parkhouse. It was the forwards dominance up front with the small front row of Robinson, Hughes and Turner at scrum time and dominant carries by the big men, man of the match Llewelyn Jones, Tom Lewis and Adam Green and the fizzing of the flankers Fitts and McGown who provided the platform. Southend might have been disappointed to have come away with nothing apart from a kicked in board in frustration by second row Jake Buckley after a superb Letchworth try but there is now six points of clear water between second and third with Colchester fortunate to be another six in front after a narrow win at Sudbury by a single point.
The opening minutes were played in midfield with plenty of skids and a few drops but then a classic Lewis burst found Josh Sharp who put Gibbs into space and his pop pass found a flying Parkhouse who scored wide out with Sharp putting over the extras. Minutes later a penalty awarded to Legends saw new boy and increasingly influential scrum half Tom Aviss take a quickie which caught Southend napping and it was now 14-0.
However, a good side like Southend were never going to lie down and the rest of the half they put sustained pressure on Letchworth’s 22. A well worked move saw Nicholls go over with Lloyd adding the extras. Will Titherington had to leave the field and his replacement Brendan Marume was soon making some penetrating runs from deep. Letchworths flamboyant style was nearly punished by a Southend interception but then a glorious eighty metre run by centre Charlie Parkhouse showing his younger brother that he too has great gas made the score 21-7 at the break.
As a glorious sunset lit up the Letchworth end of the ground so battle recommenced and some classic Letchworth forward drives put the Seasiders under real pressure. Sharps classic kick out wide found Josh Parkhouse to go over and Legends were nearly out of sight at 28-7.
But a dogged Southend side would not let it lie and came right back into it with unconverted tries from Day and Needham. Crucially if the kicks had gone over they would have been within a score of Letchworth but the home side kicked on with the fresh legs of Walker and Mongston. A Southend ball was robbed and Josh Sharp chipped through as the other Josh (Parkhouse) fastened onto it to claim his hat trick and the match.
The 1924s were within a whisker of beating OVs firsts but went down 25-24 after a courageous battle. Next week sees them at home to St Albans (with a lunch beforehand see Freddie Kite or our website events for more info) whilst the ones are on the road to Old Northamptonians who will be desperate for a win in front of a large Christmas crowd as they now hold up the league in bottom position. Another entertaining encounter beckons.
LETCHWORTH LEGENDS
From1: Robinson, Hughes, Turner, Jones (vc), Green, McGown, Fitts, Lewis, Aviss, Sharp (c), Parkhouse J, Titherington, Parkhouse C, Reeves, Gibbs
Replacements: Walker, Mongston, Marume
