Westcliff 8 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 18 - finally!

Stortford once again started the game very much in the ascendency and dominated the first 10 minute. At the end of this period they were denied what would have been a well deserved try for a forward pass that escaped the attention of almost all but the referee, as Wayne Child touched down out wide off a pass from Sam Winter, rounding off some excellent forwards play. Although the visitors continued to have the better of the play, regular mistakes on both sides meant that scoring opportunities were few. It was,therefore, very much against the run of play that Westcliff registered the first score after 31 minutes via a try out wide on the left. Stortford had largely been the authors of their own downfall here, having conceded territory by virtue of a series of mistakes including an unforced penalty. The try itself arose from some good driving rugby by the home forwards, going through a number of phases, but it required a final serious error from the visitors to give up the score, as their winger stepped in towards a maul close to his touchline, leaving his opposite number an open channel to the line. The sistors battled back, but it was well into first half injury time before they registered their own first score, when fullback, Sam Winter touched down, following an excellent period of pressure by his pack through a series of set scrums and mauls. A tremendous conversion by flyhalf, Tom Coleman from the touchline and into a strongly adverse cross wind took his side into the lead. This was, unfortunately only of very short duration, though, as the home side took advantage of further added time for their ever-threatening fullback to run back a poor defensive kick and force a penalty under the visitors' posts for going over the top at a ruck. Ben McKeith, back from last week's business trip made no mistke with the kick for goal to take his side into a one point halftime lead.

Stortford started the second period strongly and, despite some poor first phase passing, pressed once more deep into the Westcliff half. This culminated some 5 minutes into the half only when total confusion arose at an attacking lineout close to the home line, resulting in a freekick being awarded against the visitors for a dummy throw. This time, though, Stortford were able to maintain territorial pressure, which was rewarded some 3 minutes later with a penalty under the home team's posts for offside at a breakdown. Coleman duly kicked the three points, as he did after another three minutes, when Westcliff were penalised at a scrum. By this stage, prop, Declan Caulfield, who had taken a bad knock in the first half had to be replaced by Will Roberts. While the resultant loss of weight in the set piece gave the home side some extra momentum, the replacement's added mobility was soon being shown to good effect and no better than when, 29 minutes into the half, he stripped a Westcliff back clean of the ball, as he tried to run out of his own 22. This quick turnover ball was used to full effect, as the ball was moved quickly to the right wing, where Wayne Child crashed over through a couple of tacklers for a try. The conversion was missed, but Stortford now had a welcome 10 points' cushion. The home side continued to show tremendous spirit, however, launching attack after attack, mostly through their forwards, who time after time hurled themselves from deep positions at their opposite numbers and often made inroads despite, generally excellent defence from the visitors. Mention must be made here of one crucial turnover, when winger Jimmy Rea went into a maul as second man and ripped the ball cleanly out of a Westcliff forward's hands to allow a clearing kick to be put in. The game ended with the home pack once more on the rampage, but the visitors' staunch defence kept the opposition out to leave the final score at 8-18 - remarkably close to the 5-17 scoreline, when last week's match was abandoned early.

This was a battling performance by a Stortford side by no means at its best and pushed close in many respects by an extremely committed Westcliff side with some very strong individual players.