Bishop’s Stortford lose 26-7 at home to Chinnor in National League 1

Bishop’s Stortford produced a spirited and committed performance in a 26-7 home defeat to title-chasing Chinnor on Saturday (November 18).

Marcus Cattell’s side took an early lead with a converted try, but the powerful visitors came back to claim a victory that takes them up to second in the National League 1 table.

Stortford, who remain 11th, have the opportunity to pull further away from the relegation zone this weekend when they travel to 12th-placed Leicester Lions.

The hosts opened the scoring after eight minutes when Dan Powell burst through a tackle near halfway to find Chris Bolton and then Chris Smith inside for a tremendous try under the posts to the latter. Matt Riddington added the extras.

Chinnor, who are the division’s leading points scorers, fought back and enjoyed the better of the rest of the half.

Their powerful, all-court running and strong kicking brought them two short-range tries, scored by Alun Walker and Robin Hardwick, one direct from a five-metre lineout maul and the other from a try-line ruck after another attacking lineout.

The second half was largely one-way traffic with Chinnor spending much of the time battering Stortford’s line, where they were met for 34 minutes with some fantastic defence. The breakthrough, when it came, was from a charge down of an attempted clearance kick from the base of a ruck inside Stortford’s 22 with the bounce falling kindly for Conor-Terrah Brockschmidt to touch down.

George Worboys converted, as he did at the death when James Bourton rounded off a multi-phase attack against an understandably weary home defence.

Bishop’s Stortford: Powell, Stannard, Biard, Ayrton, Smith, Riddington, Bolton; Hill, Rayment, Peck, Kiff, Charter, Jones, Adejimi, Rogers. Replacements: Hussey, Ramzanpour, Tierney, Wardell, Cole.

Chinnor: Feeney, Gillespie, Blakemore, Bourton, Goss, Worboys, James-Carter; Woodward, Walker, Hardwick, Merrick, Brockschmidt, North, Stokes, Ryan. Replacements: Darlington, McNulty, Clementson, Smith, Passman.

Scorers: Bishop’s Stortford - Tries: Smith 8; Cons: Riddington 9. Chinnor - Tries: Walker 16, Hardwick 22, Brockschmidt 73, Bourton 78; Cons: Worboys 23, 74, 79.

Referee: Jamie Parr.

Star man: James Ayrton (Bishop’s Stortford).

Attendance: 588.