Rayment running riot for Stortford on poignant day
Bishop’s S……………36 Leicester Lions …. 12
THIS game was dedicated to the memory of Stortford’s former 4th XV captain, Max Oliver, who suffered a cardiac arrest and died on Thursday, aged 31.
Stortford were generally the stronger, but Lions defended well, restricting a dominant hosts to three first-half scores. The first two went to hooker, Alex Rayment. Firstly when he seized on a loose ball at the base of a ruck to sprint in from 20 metres, the second at the back of a driving maul after a five-metre line-out from a breakdown penalty conceded.
The third try went to Harrison Langworthy from the base of a ruck almost on the try line, with Mike Cooke converting all three.
Stortford started the second period strongly and Cooke soon squirmed over in the corner for the bonus-point try, after a break by Will Rogers.
The lead was extended to 33 points with Rayment’s third try from another driving maul, converted by Cooke. Lions fought hard and their fortunes turned around after Langworthy was red-carded after 65 minutes for a high tackle.
The visitors used the man advantage to suck in Stortford’s defence and scored two consolation tries from clever chip kicks to the wings, with Jack Edwards and Jake Sterland touching down and Luke Bouchier converting the first.
In between, Cooke kicked a penalty goal for Stortford.
REFEREE: Jamie Parr ATTENDANCE: 605
Star man Toby Hill -Bishop’s Stortford
TEAMS
BISHOP’S STORTFORD: Hankin, Stannard, Biard, Pope, Smith C, Cooke, Bolton; Hill, Rayment, Peck, Ferguson, Kiff, Langworthy, Jones, Rogers Replacements: Bell, Smith T, Charter, Briers, Powell LEICESTER LIONS: Brock, Pearson, Pope, Davies, Sterland, Bouchier, Preston; Roberts, Allen, Dawson, Cornwall, Welsh, Almond, De Beer, Britton Replacements: Burrows, Romano, Payne, Threlfall, Edwards
