Ampthill take their time to get things in right order

By BEN WHITE

Ampthill ……….. 31pts

Tries: Hall 13, 47; Eke 26, Jackson 55, Hallett 64

Conversions: Barton 14, 48; Mitchell 65

Chinnor ………….29pts

Tries: Hardwick 21, Penalty 33, Carter 39, Walker 68

Conversions: Slevin 22, 40

Penalties: Slevin 62

AMPTHILL overturned a nine-point half-time deficit to secure their first victory of the season, much to the delight of their head coach Paul Turner who said: “We were so poor in the first half but we sorted a few things out, got back into the lead and, after a good couple of finishes, we held on.”

The Mob broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, after a delicate chip from skipper Josh Barton was grounded by Angus Hall. Chinnor then levelled with Rob Hardwick burrowing his way under neath the Ampthill defence.

It didn’t take long for The Mob to retake lead, with flanker Max Eke diving across the line from close range.

The last minutes of the opening 40 proved to be damaging for the hosts who leaked 14 points and were reduced to 13 men. Lock Kennedy Sylvester was yellow carded, and after another infringement at the rolling maul, the referee gave a penalty try and another yellow card, this time to prop Harvey Beaton. With the last play of the first half, a hopeful kick through by Kieran Goss was superbly finished by scrum half Luke Carter.

The first score of the second half was going to crucial in Ampthill’s attempts to launch a fightback and they scored their third try in the 47th minute. A break from inside his own half by Vereimi Qorowale took most of the Chinnor defence out of the game, and an outrageous pass to Hall sent him away.

Ampthill turned a four-point deficit into a three-point lead less than 10 minutes later. After taking a quick tap penalty five metres from the Chinnor try line, Brandon Jackson strolled home.

Chinnor levelled the game with a Connor Slevin penalty in 62nd minute, but just two minutes later, Ampthill centre Josh Hallett charged down a Chinnor kick and ran it in from just outside the visitors 22 to give The Mob a seven-point lead, following a successful conversion from replacement fly half Evan Mitchell.

A try for Chinnor by hooker Alun Walker gave Nick Easter’s side hope but Ampthill managed to hold.

Easter said: “I thought we were magnificent, to be perfectly honest.We had opportunities to win it. We are doing a lot right.”