Stortford, playing into the gale force wind and up the slope made early inroads into Canterbury territory, going through many phases and looking threatening, particularly through the centres. Unfortunately, a head injury to scrumhalf, Tom Banks after barely 2 minutes ended his game and gave an unexpectedly early debut to Alex Patton, last season's Colt's halfback. Understandably, nervous at the beginning, the youngster quickly found his feet, which was crucial in such difficult playing conditions. Continued Stortford pressure forced a yellow card for Canterbury's hooker after 10 minutes, when he was penalised for cynically preventing the visitors from taking a quick penalty. Within 3 minutes, Stortford took the lead when, following some impressive 15-man interplay they were halted only by a knock-on, close to the home team's line. Having already enjoyed a strong edge at the set piece, it was no surprise that the ball was taken against the head, allowing No 8, Mark McCraith to force his way over for a try, which George Cullen wasn't quite able to convert from out wide. Stortford continued to set the pace, but Canterbury's defence became tougher and they quickly showed themselves able to threaten from the periodic opportunities offered them by Stortford penalties and mishandlings. Thus it was, after some 27 minutes that the home side scored a try out on the right wing, when top scorer, Mason Rosvall plunged over, taking an excellent flat pass as he dived for the line. Skipper, Martyn Beaumont's impressive conversion from the touchline took his side into a 2 point lead. After the home team's hooker had returned from the sin bin, their pack had started to take the initiative in the set scrums and this provided the platform for a second converted try after 37 minutes, when Canterbury's midfield took advantage of a missed tackle to give outside centre, Courtney Horey a clear run at the line. The home side enjoyed the better of the play for the remainder of the first half, as Stortford, although enjoying more than their fair share of possession against the elements, repeatedly turned the ball over through their increasingly frantic efforts to force openings. The visitors' defence, though was strong enough to resist the resultant pressure and take them into the break only 9 points in arrears.

Stortford came out for the second period showing a much more measured approach and were immediately on the front foot. The resultant pressure forced a penalty under the Canterbury posts after 5 minutes, when a brave decision to take a scrum, rather than an easy 3 points paid immediate dividends, with Mark McCraith driving off the back and producing an excellent short pass to Patton who, having seemingly take a long, leisurely look to assess the width of the gap in front of him plunged over for a crucial try close to the posts. Cullen made no mistake with the conversion to narrow the gap to 2 points. With the benefit of the elements, the visitors were now dominating possession and territory and their control was not diminished, when new props, Sean Edwards and Rory Young were brought on to contest a scrum in Canterbury's 22 after 15 minutes. Two powerful drives brought penalties to Stortford and, although the home side managed to avoid a potentially disastrous third penalty at the re-set, Stortford took clean ball, from which George Cullen threatened the line, before handing on to Mike Gallagher, for the winger to touch down on 17 minutes, giving his flyhalf another easy conversion. The home side continued to battle hard, but it was no great surprise, when Stortford's 4th, bonus point try was scored on the half hour mark, with left winger, Nick Hankin rounding off some crisp handling out wide. Undaunted by the challenge, Cullen again added the extras to take his side out to a 12 point lead.. Canterbury refused to give up, though and it took some staunch Stortford defence, in which one excellent cover tackle from returning second row, Matt Tomlinson stood out, not only snuffing out, as it did, a threatening attack, but leading directly to a relieving Stortford penalty after 38 minutes. A yellow card almost immediately to the home scrumhalf for cynically slowing down another surging Stortford attack effectively ended the contest and the visitors were able comfortably to see out the remaining minutes in Canterbury territory.

In the end, a convincing win against an obdurate opposition, made all the sweeter by the surprising news that OAs, after losing to Stortford last week, had suffered their 3rd defeat in a row at home to Chinnor. Now for yet another huge game, with the visit to Stortford next week of 4th placed Taunton!!