Thurrock 13 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 19

Stortford started the game strongly and were rewarded after 5 minutes with a try to Jono Child out wide, as the ball was moved deftly through quick flat passes off the back of a scrum just outside the Thurrock 22. Centre, John Stocker drew the last man and gave his winger a clear run to the corner. Tom Coleman’s excellent conversion into the wind took his side out to a 7 point lead. This advantage was soon erased, though as the home side showed their own determination to run the ball and, after 12 minutes stretched the visitors’ defence wide on the left and found them short-handed to register a try. Another good touchline conversion - by fullback, Frankie Neale levelled the scores. Although playing into the stiff breeze, Stortford enjoyed the better of the subsequent battle for territory, but stout Thurrock defence prevented any scores for the next 20 minutes. At this stage, though a key turning point took place, when the home second row, Nick Cooper-Hicks was yellow carded for tackling a Stortford player off the ball, as the visitors threatened to break through well inside the home 22. This advantage was quickly exploited, when Stortford opted for the scrum, rather than a kick and, when a second penalty was conceded, another strong drive at a second scrum allowed No 8, Steve Ball to plunge over for a try, again well converted by Coleman. Before the sin bin period had expired, the visitors’ lead was stretched to 12 points when Wayne Child emulated his brother in scoring a try, after Stocker stepped inside to check the defence and then threw a long pass to his winger. Coleman’s conversion attempt went narrowly wide. This was how the first half ended, with Stortford apparently in the driving seat at 7-19.

Thurrock, though had other ideas and, after Stortford squandered an early opportunity for the bonus point try, after a turnover and kick ahead had left the home try line at the mercy of four visiting players, the home side proceeded to dominate possession and most of the territory. An injury early in the half to second row, Jon George certainly did not help the Stortford cause, with another lineout stalwart, in Mark McCraith on the touchline and Thurrock proceeded to dominate this aspect of the game. Backed up by a commitment to run the ball into the faltering breeze and some excellent handling, the home team exerted considerable pressure on Stortford and were rewarded after 10 minutes of the half with three points from Neale’s boot, off the third penalty conceded by Stortford in relatively quick succession. Thurrock went straight back onto the attack and it took a tremendous last-ditch tackle from Dave Aldam to prevent a try by the righthand touchline. Stortford’s defence was now being tested by a constant barrage of fast flowing rugby from the home side, but the team as a whole proved well up to the task. Their cause was not helped, though by an inability to win much possession, losing a number of their own lineouts, exacerbated by a tendency to give up the ball quickly on the odd occasions, when the ball actually came their way. Eventually, some 35 minutes into the half, the visitors’ stubborn resistance was broken. Again it was a yellow card that proved to be a momentum changer. Jono Child was penalised at a breakdown near his own 22, for impeding the release of the ball, although there was some suspicion that the tackled Thurrock player may have failed to release the ball promptly. Given the previous sequence of penalties conceded by Stortford, though and a strong warning issued to the team some minutes earlier, the sin binning was inevitable, once the penalty was awarded. The home team opted to take the easy three points on offer, to reduce the margin to the crucial 6 points, that would secure a bonus point and make them entirely safe from the lingering threat of relegation. They were, therefore, content to let time run out with the score at 13-19.

Stortford’s many travelling supporters were then able to turn their full attention to the twitter feeds coming in from Tring and Hertford - which had taken half an eye for much of the match! The fantastic outcomes from Stortford’s point of view were defeats for leaders, Dorking at Tring and for third-placed Barnes at Hertford, which meant that Stortford move to the top of the league and are ensured of at least a play-off place. Dorking’s bonus point in defeat means that we shall probably still need five points from next week’s final match at home to Old Elthamians to retain top spot and thus ensure promotion to National 2 South - the alternative being almost certainly a trip down to Exmouth for the play-off match. With more than 200 already booked in for next week’s pre-match lunch, a tremendous atmosphere is guaranteed at Silver Leys and these numbers will, hopefully be boosted by large support from the whole town. Coming 10 years to the day from the Club’s last promotion-clincher (at Cambridge), let us hope that this offers a good omen for what will undoubtedly be a tough match against an OEs’ side, themselves finishing the season well.