In bitterly cold conditions handling was not easy, but a dominant Stortford side compounded the inevitable crop of handling errors with a number of blown opportunities during the first half that were definitely self-inflicted. Nevertheless,with the Stortford pack dominant at the scrums and rampant in the loose (where Dec Caulfield, Will Roberts and James "Apples" Apperley showed up consistently). the outcome never really looked in doubt. It took 12 minutes for the first score to come, with Steve Ball touching down at the back of a scrum driven some 15 yards over the line. Banksy made a rare error off the tee, but made no mistake 15 minutes later, when the scrumhalf gave himself an easy kick, after forcing his way over close to the posts from the fringes of a maul after a 5 metre lineout. The third try came 7 minutes later from another Stortford scrum, this time pushed over from 5 metres, with Steve Ball again getting the touchdown and Banks, once more kicking the conversion. The home side were now well on top, but it took an excellent turnover just outside the visitors' 22 from Sean Edwards to create the opportunity for Matt Tomlinson to break a tackle and dash some 20 metres to the line. Another good conversion from Banks completed the first half scoring, with the home side 26-0 ahead.

Stortford started the second period strongly and a break through the middle of a ruck by Banks produced front-foot ball, which quickly found its way into Jimmy Rea's hands for the winger to dash in at the corner. The scrumhalf still managed to add the extras from the touchline. As the home side continued to press, a knock-on was seized on by Worthing well inside their own half and the visitors showed their own attacking ambitions, bursting into the Stortford 22 and going through several phases, before big centre, Finlay Coxon-Smith forced his way through three tacklers for a try in the corner after 6 minutes of the half. This was well converted by Matt McLean . Stortford were soon back in the driving seat, though, with two converted tries coming directly from further Worthing penalties.The first resulted from quick thinking by Dan Elsom and Tom Banks, when the scrumhalf took a quick tap and passed to his flanker, who was able to run 20 yards unopposed. The second went to Dec Caulfield, rewarded for an outstanding performance in the loose with a try at the back of a driving maul from a 5 metre lineout, after Worthing had been penalised for one of a series of breakdown offences, for which one of their forwards received a yellow card. It was Banks' turn to touch down himself some 7 minutes later, when he darted over for his second try from the base of an attacking maul, but he was unable this time to add the extras. The game now became rather scrappy and the visitors took advantage to score a second, consolation try after 75 minutes, when they broke out of their own 22 and pacy replacement centre, Forrest outstripped the Stortford defence to run in under the posts from some 60 yards out, giving McLean an easy conversion to take the final score to 52-14.

Our thanks got to Matchday Sponsors, Belcom for their continued support of the Club and to former first XV player, Sam Prior and his company, BIT Solutions for sponsoring today's Man of the Match award, which went to Dec Caulfield.