Herts/Middlesex 1. 28th February 2015

Cheshunt secured another bonus point win, with another controlled performance against a competitive and physical team from the Bank of England.
The home side started well and immediately camped in the Bank 22, Joel Bailey was soon on the move from a scrum 30 yards out, he fed Alex Clark who was stopped just short. They kept pressure on the line and looked to drive over from a close range scrum, and then a series of mauls, but allowed Bank to clear when they made some poor decisions and became isolated. The visitors couldn’t get out of their half however, and when they slowed ball down in front of the posts after 12 minutes, Reece Shoobridge opened the scoring with a simple penalty.
Bank started to win some ball and for the next 15 minutes enjoyed their best period of the match; it was Cheshunt’s turn to defend and although they kept the visitors at bay until the half hour mark, eventually they ran out of numbers and Bank took the lead with a try scored wide out.
It was short lived and C’s scored twice in as many minutes as they began to get back on top. From a drop out 22, Shoobridge fielded the kick and passed to Claridge, he found Marvin Brown on the charge who took play to within 5 metres, an attempted interception close to the line was knocked on by the visitors and from the scrum the Cheshunt pack rumbled over the line for Bailey to touch down the push over try.
From the re-start, Aydan Duligall and Josh Willcocks took the ball into contact, a long pass from Shoobridge to Omid Amani gave him space to set winger Dan Saunders charging down the right, deep in the Bank 22 the ball was re-cycled through Clark and fed along the line, via Duligall and Willcocks, to Dave Lever and from close range he smashed through his man to touch down in the corner, 13-5.
There was still time before the break for the Green and Whites to extend their advantage, a long range penalty attempt was just pulled to the left, but the visitors couldn’t clear further than Brown just outside the 22, he drove forward and a nicely timed pass, set hooker Jake Phillips bursting through, hauled down just short, C’s kept possession through a couple of phases and back on his feet Phillips was on hand to accept the ball close to the line, he drove through the Bank defence and Shoobridge added the extras for a comfortable 20-5 lead at the break.
Cheshunt controlled the second period, but spirited Bank defence stopped them running away with the game, another long range penalty attempt was just wide, but the game was being played in the Bank half. When the visitors cleared, fullback Johno Wicks was quick to return the ball with some penetrating runs; a fully functioning lineout and a scrum which remained on top, props Ollie Martines and Tony Short dominating their opposite numbers, gave the platform for half backs Lewis Daymon and Shoobridge to set the backs running.
Claridge and Amani continued to combine well in the centre and gave the back three of Lever, Saunders and Wicks opportunities to use their pace, when C’s emptied the bench, Alan Thorne helped to punch holes up the middle, Charlie Bagley slotted in the front row and Dave Angell carried the ball well and knocked back the Bank attackers.
Finally C’s got the all-important bonus point, a rare foray into the Cheshunt half was punished when Bank dropped the ball, Thorne was quickest to react and soon took the play back into the Bank half, re-cycled ball was fed along the line where Duligall and Phillips combined well to give Wicks some space down the right wing, from 35 yards out, he was quick enough to outstrip the covering defence and get in behind the posts, the easy conversion from Shoobridge extended the advantage to 27-5 with only 8 minutes left.
Cheshunt will be annoyed to have relaxed in the final few minutes, waiting for the final whistle they allowed their defensive line to be broken and Bank had a consolation score at the end.
A difficult away trip to London Welsh is in store for Cheshunt next week, part of a tricky run in at the end of the season playing the top four teams. Although a top two place is beyond them, Cheshunt are still determined to have a say in the promotion race.

Martines, Phillips, Short, Brown, Willcocks, Clark, Duligall, Bailey, Daymon, Shoobridge, Lever, Claridge, Amani, Saunders, Wicks. Replacements – Bagley, Angell, Thorne.