SOUTHEND 20

HARPENDEN 20

Southend showed the progress they are making when an outstanding comeback narrowly failed to net the win which has been on the cards for weeks now.

Harpenden are in the top half of the table but could not hold the very strong Southend pack and the home side should have won the game after scoring four tries to two.

At the moment, they need a consistent kicker to add the extra points which would have secured the victory they clearly deserved.

An early penalty gave Harpenden the lead but Southend struck back when wing Paul Bantick ran in very strongly for their first try.

The conversion was missed and Harpenden took advantage when they scored another penalty to take a 6-5 lead.

Two early tries from Harpenden early in the second half put Southend behind 20-5 but they gathered their strengths and set about a brilliant comeback.

Southend's backs took over, launching waves of attacks on the Harpenden line with some good ball supplied by the forwards.

Jeremy Bullen scored a first-class try to lift Southend to within ten points, before wing Ed Murinyu scored two tries to bring the home side level.

They were clearly on top at this stage, but the missed conversions proved costly as the visitors hung on for a 20-20 draw.

Close battle - Southend and Harpenden players fight for the ball in Sunday's 20-20 tie at Warners Park

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Old Ed's are the best

WESTCLIFF 12

OLD EDWARDIANS 25

Injury-ravaged Westcliff saw their hopes of victory hit before the kick-off when only six of their regular first-teamers were able to take to the field.

Nevertheless, the team put in a battling performance and would have perhaps come away with a better result if they had been able to convert more of their numerous chances.

The Eastern Counties One side were shocked early on when their normally rock-solid pack were forced backwards continually.

Old Ed's drew first blood with a penalty, but a penalty move by Westcliff brought a try for lock Mark Wass. The excellent conversion by Ben Weller put the home side into the lead.

However, two soft tries and a conversion were then conceded as Old Ed's took a 15-7 half-time lead.

In the second half, good pressure from the home side - in particular Matt Stanford, Darren Morrant and veteran Phil Parmenter - gave Westcliff hope that they could turn the game around.

So it proved as Parmenter blasted his bulk through the cover to score in the corner following a penalty move.

Old Ed's were not to be denied, though, and scored another try when they pushed the Westcliff pack backwards.

The rest of the game was a scattered mix of attack and defence, with Old Ed's clinging to their advantage and grabbing a final try shortly before the end.

Rob seals it for Wyverns

RAYLEIGH WYVERNS 13

LOUGHTON 5

One penalty and a try from Rob Lagden sealed a good home win for Rayleigh in wet and muddy conditions.

Man-of-the-match Kenny Miller opened the scoring with a brilliant solo run early in the first half, only for Loughton to equalise at the start of the second half with a break-away try.

But Lagden put Rayleigh back into the lead with a penalty after Loughton had a player sent off for stamping, and then scored the clinching try on the wing after forcing an overlap.

Rochford ready for title bid

CHINGFORD 8

ROCHFORD HUNDRED 29

Confident Rochford put themselves in position for a tilt at the London League Three title when they blew away the challenge of their hosts with a fine display of attacking rugby.

The Magnolia Road side moved up to third place after the victory but are only a single point behind new leaders Hadleigh with two games in hand.

It was obvious from the outset that the visitors were the better side and it was only through errors of their own making that allowed Chingford to stay in contention for so long.

With their pack already beginning to dominate the set play in the first few minutes, Rochford drove over the line for skipper Andy Lipscombe to touch down.

The visitors were pressing on every occasion and it seemed inevitable another score would follow, but it was Chingford who broke away through some good inter-passing to score a breakaway try.

To add insult to injury, Rochford then gave away a penalty for the home side to edge in front.

However, more sustained pressure followed by Rochford and Andy Hawes scored a penalty to make the half-time score 8-8.

Rochford came out in more determined mood for the second half and it was not long before Andy Baker finished off a fine move for Hawes to convert.

The visitors settled down, and with plentiful ball from lineouts, where Stephenson and Jones ruled supreme, the next score soon followed.

After some powerful running along the touchline Alan Barker was impeded trying to follow up his kick ahead, and the referee had no option but to award a penalty try which Hawes converted.

It was only fitting that Rochford should finish off in style and winger David Knight broke away from his opposite number and raced to the line.

A well-judged pass inside found the supporting Barker who outpaced the defence to touch down under the posts. Hawes rounded off another good performance by converting the try.

Rochford Harts lost their Essex Cup 2nd team semi-final to Thurrock 23-16.

Hickey's five-star show

SHELFORD 34

BASILDON 41

Winger John Hickey ripped Shelford apart with an incredible five tries as Basildon knocked their hosts off top spot in the race for London League Three North-East.

New towners started off at a cracking pace with Spencer Cackett scything his way through the Shelford midfield. From the resulting ruck Craig McLelland drove for the line and passed to Hickey to score the first of his five tries.

The home team bounced back with two long distance penalties to make the score 6-5 but Hickey struck back with a second try after a brilliant inter-passing move sparked off by Matt Tilson.

Shelford pulled back a superb converted try to take the lead 13-10, but Hickey regained the lead for Basildon when he scored his best try from 30 yards out. He ran straight through three tackles at pace to race over the line, and Tilson converted to make the score 17-13.

Hickey finished his first-half work from a short distance out, crashing over to make the score 22-13. But Shelford again bounced back right on the half time whistle, with a converted try which made the score 22-20.

The second half began at an equally hot pace, and Basildon scored again with lightning fast Lloyd Williams finishing off a good three-quarter move.

Basildon increased their lead further with their fast forwards pressurising Shelford. The ball popped lose and hooker Stuart Adams ran in from 20 yards. Richard Pike converted to make the score 36-20.

Shelford immediately struck back and scored two converted tries to bring the score to 36-34.

The remaining eight minutes proved tense, but it was that man Hickey again who seized on to a bad defensive error from Shelford and ran 30 yards to settle the score.

It was a top-class performance from Basildon, although they feel they did not perform as well as they could.

Hope close in on Twickenham date

OLD WELLINGTONIANS 5

STANFORD-LE-HOPE 10

Stanford are just a game away from a Twickenham final after carving out a narrow 10-5 victory over Old Wellingtonians in the Tetley's Bitter Vase quarter-final.

The south Essex club were on top for most of the game, but Old Wellingtonians scored a try with ten minutes to go and Stanford had to hold on with grim determination at the end.

They spent most of the remainder of the game camped in Old Wellingtonians' half, but had to endure injury-time of around six minutes before they could begin to celebrate.

Needless to say, the celebrations went on for a while afterwards and elated fly-half Jamie Daisley said: "It's just unbelievable. We're only starting to sober up now!

"They had some really good players, fast and quick, but we were just good enough in the end. It was a really good game."

The architects of the victory were the five forwards - Gary Wooffitt, Kevin Dann, Darren Watkins, Neil Martin and Stephen Barter - who Daisley described as "fantastic".

But there were other great performances too. Centres Richard Elder and Scott Cooper have every reason to be proud after their awesome tackling did much to keep Wellingtonians at bay.

Winger Rob Maher opened Stanford's account with a try when sheer determination saw him dive over the line into the corner. Kelway added an excellent conversion from out wide, and then put his team 10-0 ahead with a penalty.

Stanford were dominant throughout the game, but had to hold on grimly when Wellingtonians grabbed their late score.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.