Bishop’s Stortford score five tries to beat Darlington Mowden Park 33-19 in National 1
Bishop’s Stortford registered a bonus-point victory by seeing off National 1 basement boys Darlington Mowden Park 33-19 at home on Saturday (November 16).
The hosts ran in five tries to taste success following back-to-back defeats against sides in the top four.
Tom Coleman’s men remain 10th but have increased the gap between themselves and the bottom three from five points to seven.
Stortford are back on the road this Saturday (November 23) when they travel to Esher, who are one place and five points below them in the table.
Darlington were first on the scoreboard as they got on the front foot from a quickly-tapped penalty to stretch Stortford’s defence and put Josh Ree in for a try, converted by Harry Read, after three minutes.
The hosts bounced straight back and Dan Powell beat three men in the tramlines to go over in the right corner, with David Hayes adding an excellent conversion.
Stortford enjoyed the bulk of the possession, but Darlington looked threatening on the break and twice came close to further tries.
However, it was the home team that got the crucial score with Tristan Smith diving over from the fringe of a driving maul after a five-metre lineout.
Hayes again added the extras to put his side 14-7 ahead at the half-time interval.
Stortford took control after the break and stretched their lead to 26 points by the 72nd minute.
Isaac Bell, Chris Bolton and Josh Stannard all dotted down as the visitors became increasingly frantic in their efforts to play expansive rugby under pressure.
Stortford seemed to lose momentum, though, and began to struggle at the scrums as they came under severe pressure.
Multiple penalties were conceded, resulting in a yellow card for Harrison Langworthy, and Darlington - who have now lost nine out of their 10 games - took full advantage as they launched multiple attacks to register two late consolation tries through Alfie Barron and Max Fraine.
Stortford: Hayes, Mills, Biard, Pope, Gilham, Powell, Bolton; T Smith, Bell, Hill, Ferguson, Kiff, Langworthy, Jones, Rogers. Replacements: Cilia, Olver, Johnson, Briers, Stannard.
Darlington Mowden Park: Ree, Katalau, Walker, Mackenzie, Checksfield, Read, Douglas; Barron, Fraine, Harrison, Usher, Peacock, Tiffen, Craggs, Fantini. Replacements: Kyle-Clay, Turnill, Gibson, Jones, Trees.
Scorers: Stortford - Tries: Powell 7, T Smith 20, Bell 46, Bolton 51, Stannard 71; Cons: Hayes 8, 22, 52, 72. Darlington - Tries: Ree 2, Barron 73, Fraine 82; Cons: Read 3, 83.
Referee: Matt Sharpe.
Star man: Toby Hill (Stortford).
Attendance: 535.
