Stortford started strongly and pretty much dominated the first half, though met by some stern defence from the visitors. With only 3 minutes gone, Alex Rayment capitalised on an extended period of team pressure on the Lions' 22 to seize on a loose ball at the base of a ruck and dash in for a try under the posts, duly converted by Mike Cooke. It was the hooker again that touched down 4 minutes later, this time at the back of a driving maul from a 5 meter lineout after the visitors were penalised at a breakdown. Cooke again added the much more difficult conversion to maintain his 100% record off the tee through the pre-season games. The home side might well have scored sooner but Lions managed through more determined defending to force an error or two and it took until the 27th minute for Harrison Langworthy to crash over from the base of a try-line ruck. Cooke again converted and that was the end of the scoring for the first period, with Stortford finishing the half by holding up a Lions' maul over the line after they had won a 5 metre lineout from a penalty - a very rare sortie into Stortford's 22.

The home side started the second half on the front foot and were rewarded within a minute with a try to Cooke, who wriggled his way over in the corner, after a clean break up the middle by Will Rogers. Ironically, it was the flyhalf's own try out wide that broke his long run of successful conversions, leaving the score at 26-0. He made no mistake 16 minutes later, though, when he added the extras to Rayment's hat-trick try from another driving maul, when an outstanding Ollie Jones tackle, as the opposition threatened to break out of their half, brought a breakdown penalty, leading to a 5 metre lineout. Despite the 33-0 scoreline, Lions had never given up and, when Harrison Langworthy was shown a red card for a high tackle after 65 minutes, they took full advantage, systematically sucking in the home defence and twice creating space outside, where clever chip kicks put each of the wingers in for tries. The first went to replacement, Jack Edwards and the second, just before the final whistle, to Jake Sterland, with Luke Bouchier converting the first.

Special thanks today go to Matchday sponsors, Recruitability and to Man of the Match sponsor, Russell Property. This week's award went to prop, Toby Hill for an outstanding effort both in tight and the loose.

The final mention, though, must go to Max Oliver, to whom this victory was dedicated by the team. He was a great Club member and a great man, who will be sadly missed.