To add to Stortford's frustrations at losing a close game to neighbours, OAs, all but 5 of the home side's points were scored by Max Malins, who looked assured in all he did, belying his youth - most of which in rugby terms was spent with Bishop's Stortford's Junior Sections.

In the first half, though opportunities for OAs were restricted by Stortford's dominance for long periods, allowing the home fullback only two three-ponters after 12 and 21 minutes from penalties for breakdown offences. In between, though, the visitors took the lead via a Mark McCraith try, the No 8 forcing his way over from 10 yards out, after quick hands had stretched the home defence. Mike Gallagher converted. Stortford had to produce some determined defending of their own, when Hamish Irving was yellow-carded after 21 minutes for a deliberate knock-on - though he was probably paying the price for the series of breakdown infringements earlier conceded. Half of the 10 minutes' sin-bin period was still to run, when Richard Gill was also shown a yellow card for lashing out as an OAs forward held him back off the ball, reducing the visitors to 13 men. Valiantly, they all but survived the resultant 20 minutes with at most 14 men on the field but, with a minute still to run, they appeared to switch off momentarily, when the referee awarded a free kick against them at their own scrum on the OAs 22. Keeping the Stortford defence off balance, the home side swept quickly upfield to score an unconverted try out wide and gain an 11-7 lead, which scarcely reflected the balance of play to that time. To pour salt onto Stortford's wound, the referee yellow-carded Mark McCraith for having pulled back the home scrum half off the ball two or three phases before the try was scored. So back, momentarily to 13 men but, undaunted, Stortford were straight onto the attack and almost immediately saw Steve Ball touching down off the back of a 5 metre scrum - well, most of the OAs' players clearly saw it, since they retreated immediately behind their posts, but none of the officials apparently did and the decision was given that the ball had been held up. Fortunately, the reset scrum produced an identical outcome, which was clearly seen by all and a try was awarded. Mike Gallagher's conversion took the halftime score to 11-14.

OAs' Coach, James Shanahan did not reappear after the break and, with Max Malins now allowed a more proactive role, the pace of their game was raised. This produced almost immediate dividends when, the fullback scored an unconverted try after 4 minutes, after an excellent break by a team mate from the base of a ruck had exploited a defensive mismatch in midfield. Within 5 minutes the same player had extended the home lead to 19-14 after Stortford were penalised at a scrum in their own 22. The home side's confidence now rose and, with changes in Stortford's pack disrupting lineout ball, the visitors struggled to get any significant amount of possession. After 22 minutes of the half, though it was OAs' turn to lose a man to the sin-bin, when centre, Chris May was carded for taking out Pier Dotta in the air after he had caught a high kick. This decision may have been rather harsh, since the player appeared to have lost his footing and slid into the contact accidentally. Almost immediately, though any sense of injustice felt by the home supporters would have been overcome, when Stortford had another try disallowed, as Nick Hankin touched down, but was deemed to have knocked the ball on, when jumping for a bouncing ball after a hanging cross kick from Tom Coleman. OAs had the better of the next 15 minutes and were rewarded with another Malins penalty after 37 minutes for another scrum offence, taking the score to 22-14. With time running out, though Stortford had a golden opportunity to narrow the gap, when replacement scrumhalf, Sam Coleman made a great break up the middle of the field from the base of a ruck, made 30 or 40 yards to commit the last defender, but then could not find either of the supporting players with his pass. With that went the last opportunity of a bonus point, which, on the overall balance of play, Stortford surely deserved.