Gravesend 21 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 56

The home side made Stortford pay for a lethargic start with a try after 10 minutes, when a fortunate bounce of a Gravesend kick caused fullback Sam Winter to slip and leave the line clear for left winger, Tom Goss to hack ahead and touch down close to the posts. Centre, Josh Smith converted for a 7 point lead. Even this score didn't really rouse the visitors and five minutes later Gravesend were 12 points ahead, when Stortford's threequarters backed off the Gravesend hooker, Warren McKee on the charge and, when he was finally stopped just short of the line, he found second row, Dave Irvine in close support to score an unconverted try. It took another 5 minutes before a resurgent Stortford side were able to force a penalty, when a home flanker broke early from a scrum and Tom Coleman slotted the goal kick from 40 metres out. Another penalty to the visitors another 5 minutes later brought a first Stortford try, when Coleman spurned an easy kick at goal to put in a thirty yard crosskick straight into the arms of winger, Nick Harris, who touched down out wide. The flyhalf was unable to convert. Thirty minutes into the game, Smith extended Gravesend's lead to 7 points with a second penalty after John Stocker was rather harshly penalised for barging an opponent as he positioned himself to gather a high kick. Stortford were level though after 7 minutes, when Harris registered his second try, finishing off an excellent drive from some 40 yards out by forwards, Dave Aldam, Hamish Irving and Maehe Austin, following a steal of a Gravesend lineout. Coleman converted from under the posts. The visitors were now on the rampage and straight from a good take from the restart kick by Aldam, Stocker put in a long kick, which was kicked back for Irving to catch under considerable pressure in midfield. The ball was fed quickly to Coleman, who dummied clean through and sent flanker, Richard Gill in for a try under the posts. The conversion took the score to 15-22 but, within a minute the gap was down to 4, when Stortford were penaliised for blocking as Gravesend sought to compete for the restart kick.

The visitors seemed to start the second half slowly again and within 7 minutes of the restart their lead was cut to only one point by a further Smith penalty after a Stortford backrow broke early from a defensive scrum. As Stortford started to refind their attacking rhythm, they were rewarded after 4 minutes with a penalty for offside under the home side's posts, as Gravesend's defence was put under strong pressure. Coleman this time took the 3 points on offer. Twenty minutes into the half and Stortford's lead was extended to 11 points by an excellent try from Stocker, who took a flat ball from Coleman close to halfway to burst through the first line of defence and then side-stepped the fullback to touch down close to the posts. Coleman converted, but he couldn't repeat the feat from out wide on the right some 6 minutes later, when Stocker scored his second try out wide, finishing off an excellent move off the back of a scrum involving the whole backrow. Stortford were now right on top and it was only two minutes later, when Gill scored his second try after Mark McCraith somehow managed to steal the ball from an opponent who had successfully claimed the drop out. It took only another 3 minutes for Harris to notch his third and his side's 7th try, when he ran in from some 40 metres out, rounding his opposite number, before stepping inside to beat the fullback and give Coleman an easy conversion. The scoring was rounded off some 5 minutes later, when Irving stepped into the Gravesend line to intercept a somewhat laboured pass to sprint over under the posts from 40 metres out, again providing an easy conversion for his skipper.

Stortford will not be able to allow themselves such a leisurely start next week against third placed Dorking but, if they can avoid this and can play with the same collective fire that they've shown in recent weeks, a good tussle is in prospect.