With both sides trying to play an expansive game, scoring was limited by frequent handling errors, giving a decided advantage to the visitors, whose pack was dominant in the set scrums. Cambridge were, nevertheless, very fortunate after only 5 minutes to escape a yellow card for a deliberate knock on, as Stortford mounted a rare early attack. It was the visitors, though who registered the first score on 9 minutes, as centre, James Ayrton seized on a dropped pass, as the Stortford tried to run out of defence and side-stepped his way over from some 20 yards out for an unconverted try. Defences tended to dominate the next 15 minutes, but it was Cambridge again, who broke the deadlock with a try to Michael Ayrton after 26 minutes. This followed a powerful driving maul from an attacking lineout, after one of several penalties awarded for breakdown offences. The drive was halted bravely by the Stortford pack, reinforced by a couple of backs, but the visitors were able to spin the ball quickly to the opposite wing, where the defence was inevitably overstretched.The conversion again flew wide to leave the scoreline 0-10. Stortford now seemed to settle into some more convincing rugby and it took another deliberate knock-on to prevent a try for winger, Jimmy Rae, who would have been clear to the line in the Cambridge 22. This resulted not only in a yellow card for flyhalf, Gerhard Boshoff, but also a penalty try on 32 minutes. Pier Dotta's conversion narrowed his side's deficit to 3 points. Two penalty goals by the fullback, as his side took advantage of the extra man to enjoy a welcome period of territorial dominance, saw Stortford into the break with a 13-10 lead. Given their travails in the frequent scrums, this was a remarkable achievement, demonstrating the team's great resilience.

The second period could hardly have started better for Stortford, with a try within the first two minutes of the half. Tom Banks made one of his typical breaks from the base of a scrum off a pass from No 8, Mark McCraith and his charge towards the Cambridge line was halted only by a blatant high tackle. Quick thinking and considerable skill by flyhalf, Tom Coleman saw him punt the penalty virtually the full width of the pitch to drop into the arms of winger, Harry Marner, who just had sufficient room to plunge over for a try through a desperate covering tackle. The conversion flew narrowly wide, leaving Stortford with an 8 point lead. The home side were now looking in some control, with the defence better able to marshal the strong running Cambridge attack, but had to survive a very stern test, when hooker, Will Roberts was yellow-carded for a breakdown offence after 26 minutes of the half. The visitors hurled themselves onto the attack and with the weakened Stortford scrum even more under the cosh, it took some fantastic tackling and a couple of excellent relieving Tom Banks kicks by the whole team to keep their line intact. This proved to be the crucial phase of the match, with Cambridge failing to threaten again and Stortford coming close to a third try, when Sam Winter touched down after 38 minutes, crashing over from a short Tom Coleman pass which was adjudged to have been slightly forward. The only other event of note was a yellow card in the final minute shown to Cambridge substitute, Matt Meek - apparently failing to live up to his name, having been penalised for violent conduct.

Belcom Man of the Match was Tom Banks for his dynamism both in attack and defence.

Our thanks go to Match Sponsors, Tees Law and Financial, whose staff and guests hopefully enjoyed another excellent day at Silver Lees with the rest of the very large crowd.

Finally, all our best wishes go to Gordon Lawrence, who passed out on the touchline and was taken to hospital by ambulance. The cause was apparently a severe drop in his blood pressure and it is hoped that he will be released home today.