Stortford got off to a flying start to this away fixture against struggling Sutton and after 5 minutes Mark McCraith peeled off the back of a lineout to set up a maul, from which prop, Max Malkin was driven over for his second try in consecutive games. Fly half, Tom Coleman duly converted. Ten minutes later and Stortford doubled their lead when good work in midfield by Kiwis, Maehe Austin and Hamish Irving set fullback, Jimmy Rea free to rum in a tremendous try from the 22.
Sutton got onto the scoreboard after 34 minutes when fly half and captain, Steve Munford kicked a penalty awarded for a rather dubious a decision of a high tackle. The visitors continued to dominate, but it was well into first half injury time before the next score came, when a good long pass from Coleman gave Rea enough space for his pace to take him over for his second try and a half time score line of 3-19.
The second half was a pretty drab affair, with Stortford not really managing to get going again. They conceded three points from a penalty for a scrum offence after 12 minutes but really lost the initiative after 20 minutes when they failed to control possession after winning their own scrum on halfway and merely shuffled bad ball out towards the wing, which the Sutton right winger seized upon and almost made the try line himself. It took a great chase by Joe Clarke to haul him down but scrum half, Arran Mahoney was immediately penalised and yellow-carded for killing the ball and the home side managed to drive over for a try from the resultant penalty/lineout. Stortford rallied briefly and Coleman kicked a penalty a couple of minutes later, when a home player was also penalised for killing the ball at the breakdown. Another two minutes, however, saw the visitors down to 13 men, when Rea, standing in for Mahoney at scrum half was himself yellow-carded for reckless use of the boot. Munford poured salt in the Stortford wound by kicking the resultant penalty to bring the score to 16-22. Shaken into life by the threat of losing a game which they should have had well won, the Stortford pack proceeded to take control and, running through phase after phase of tight play, not only saw out the remaining time on the yellow cards, but managed to win a penalty at a tight scrum, which Coleman converted for a final score line of 16-25.
It's a long way to Portsmouth next week and Stortford will be looking to produce a much more convincing performance against a side who will be boosted by their big win today against fellow strugglers, Hayward’s Heath.
Sutton & Epsom 15 Bishops Stortford 1st XV 26
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