Athletic Ground Archives - Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders continued their brilliant start to 2020 with a fantastic 42-26 bonus-point victory against local rivals London Scottish at the Athletic Ground.

The Trailfinders produced a sublime second-half performance, scoring four tries in the second 40 minutes to run away with an impressive win.

Tries from Tommy Bell, Sam Dickinson, Reon Joseph and two from Jordan Els ensured that the Green and Whites made it three wins in a row.

Ben Ward’s side looked in imperious form from the kick off and took the lead after just three minutes. The hosts fumbled Craig Willis’ kick, and straight away they were punished as from the scrum a penalty was given, and Willis dissected the posts to put his side 3-0 in front.

The Scots then looked for an immediate response and very nearly got one courtesy of Matas Juvericus. The second-rower broke the defensive line and powered towards the line, but he was eventually brought down just short and the visitors survived.

Both sides then struggled to gain the ascendancy for the remainder of the first quarter with handling errors proving costly, however the Trailfinders pounced on an error to extend their advantage. Jordan Burns’ box kick bounced up to Jordy Reid who looked to be clear, but the referee came back for an early penalty which Willis kicked to make it 6-0.

That kick then brought the game to life, and Scottish opened their account on the 25 minute mark. They entered the 22 and a loose grubber bounced perfectly for scrum-half Josh Barton who was able to dive over the line. Harry Sheppard’s conversion then put the hosts ahead for the first time in the match.

Willis then kicked his third penalty to edge the Trailfinders ahead once again, but it wouldn’t last long as Scottish scored with five minutes of the first half remaining, in a frantic ending to the opening 40 minutes.

Sheppard saw some space in behind and kicked in to the 22, and again the ball bounced up in favour of the hosts, this time for Bobby Beattie who stepped the final defender to score. The conversion put them 14-9 ahead, but that wouldn’t be the last of the action.

The restart was gathered straight away by Reon Joseph, and then after going through endless phases Jordan Els picked up from the base of a ruck and powered over for the second week in a row. Willis, who had his kicking boots on all evening kicked the conversion to give the Green and Whites a 16-14 lead at half time.

The Trailfinders made the perfect start to the second half as they began to pull away from the Exiles. A huge carry from Rayn Smid took his side up to the 22, and then a smart inside pass from Jordan Burns at the fringe of the ruck fooled the Scottish defence and allowed Tommy Bell to race away from outside the 22. Willis was again on the money with the conversion, extending the lead to nine points.

That start got even better just two minutes after as Jordan Els went over for his second try of the evening. Reon Joseph and Lewis Jones picked off a Scottish attack with their high defensive press and then the ball went through the forwards from deep inside the 22, with Els eventually able to cross from just one metre out. The extras were added from Willis which brought up the 30 point tally.

The try bonus point then arrived just before the hour mark to seal the victory for the Trailfinders. A five metre lineout was mauled towards the line and after falling just short Jordan Burns sniped to within touching distance, allowing Sam Dickinson to score from the next phase in the corner to the delight of the travelling supporters.

Ward’s men then looked to add further gloss to the scoreboard and went in search of try number five. It came within inches of Reon Joseph, but just as he looked to have a walk-in the final pass was behind him and bounced in to touch.

Scottish then rallied in the closing stages as they had their sights set on a try bonus point of their own, and they got their third with 10 minutes remaining. Two penalties in a row took them in to the 22, and then a wide looping pass fell in to the hands of former Ealing skipper Mark Bright who stepped his way to the line to cut the lead to 16 points.

Reon Joseph then crossed for a deserved try with five minutes left to give the Trailfinders fans even more to cheer. With advantage in the 22, Steven Shingler fizzed an outstanding 20 metre pass all the way to the winger who was there to pounce and stride over in the corner. Willis added the extras from the touchline to take the advantage up to 42-19.

The hosts did get their bonus point in the final play of the match as Craig Duncan crossed for their fourth of the evening, but that proved to be the last of the action as the referee blew the whistle to confirm a superb win for the Trailfinders.

London Scottish:

15 Luke Hibberd 14 Rob Stevenson 13 Bobby Beattie 12 Dan Barnes 11 Craig Duncan 10 Harry Sheppard 9 Josh Barton 1 Ryan Eveliegh 2 James Malcolm 3 Kyle Whyte 4 Alex Toolis 5 Matas Jurevicus 6 Luke Frost 7 Lewis Wynne © 8 Matt Eliet

Replacements:

16 Billy Harding 17 Lewis Holsey 18 Phil Cringle 19 Nodar Cheishvili 20 Mark Bright 21 Rory Brand 22 Will Magie 23 Ollie Allsopp

Scorers:

Tries: Josh Barton (24 minutes) Bobby Beattie (37 minutes) Mark Bright (68 minutes) Craig Duncan (80 minutes)

Conversions: Harry Sheppard (24, 37 minutes) Will Magie (80 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Tommy Bell (replaced by Steven Shingler, 50 mins) 14 Elijah Niko 13 Lewis Jones 12 Pat Howard 11 Reon Joseph 10 Craig Willis 9 Jordan Burns (replaced by Nathan Fowles, 58 mins) 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Jake Ellwood, 75 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 30 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by George Davis, 60 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson (replaced by Ben West, 58 mins) 5 James Cannon 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Shane Buckley, 25 mins) 7 Jordy Reid (replaced by Adam Korczyk, 75 mins) 8 Rayn Smid ©

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jake Ellwood 18 George Davis 19 Ben West 20 Adam Korczyk 21 Nathan Fowles 22 Steven Shingler 23 Shane Buckley

Scorers:

Tries: Jordan Els (39, 47 minutes) Tommy Bell (44 minutes) Sam Dickinson (56 minutes) Reon Joseph (74 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (39, 44, 47, 74 minutes)

Penalties: Craig Willis (4, 20, 36 minutes)

Referee: Fergus Kirby

Half Time Score: London Scottish 14-16 Ealing Trailfinders

Championship 2018-2019 Athletic Ground

Richmond vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders suffered a disappointing defeat as a late try gave Richmond a 24-22 victory at the Athletic Ground.

Ben Ward’s men overturned a 12 point deficit to lead 22-17 with just five minutes left but a last gasp score meant they hosts secured a crucial win.

Richmond made a strong start and took an early lead through Rob Kirby when he kicked a 30 metre penalty after just seven minutes to give them a 3-0 advantage.

That was just after the Trailfinders had made a couple of half chances with breaks from Will Harries and Lewis Jones, but in the blustery conditions it made handling very difficult and resulted in knock-ons.

Richmond made the early pressure pay as they scored the first try of the match to go further in front. They went through 29 phases in the Trailfinders’ 22 and eventually went over as Will Goodrick-Clarke drove past the final defender from just one metre out. Kirby’s conversion extended their lead to 10 points.

That seemed to wake the visitors up and they immediately responded with a try from Matt Cornish. Will Harries made another break and was brought down, but in the process a yellow card was given to Richmond’s Luc Jones for killing the ball. From the resulting penalty the ball was kicked to the corner and Cornish was able to dot down from the back of the maul. The conversion went wide but the deficit was now just five points.

Harries, who was busy early on then broke through the defensive line again as he continued to look dangerous on the right wing but as the ball came back a Richmond hand disrupted the attack and allowed them to clear.

Kirby then had another penalty attempt due to the visitors struggling at scrum-time, but the ball held up in the wind and the scoreboard remained 10-5 as we approached the half hour mark.

The Green and Whites then upped the tempo in the closing stages of the first half as they looked to take the lead. Two big carries from Jordan Els and Kieran Murphy took them right up to the try-line but a knock on allowed Richmond to escape once more.

The Trailfinders continued to have most of the possession but with the final play of the half a crucial moment saw Cameron Mitchell intercept and run under the posts from 50 metres out to put the hosts further in front. Kirby’s conversion put them 17-5 ahead at the break after a frustrating opening half for the visitors.

Ben Ward made a number of substitutions at half time and they paid off as a side full of intent re-emerged from the changing room. Richmond had a scrum just five metres from the line but a penalty for the Trailfinders signaled a change in the tide and sparked a revival.

They had the ball 30 metres from the line and David Johnston floated a perfect pass over the top of the defence to Kieran Murphy on the wing who had the power to run through for the first points of the second half. The conversion went wide but they were now firmly back in the match with half an hour remaining.

The Trailfinders then completed the comeback with an incredible spell which saw them score twice in a minute to take the lead. Rayn Smid pounced on a loose ball and met a completely open back field so he had the pace to run through unattended and dive under the posts. Peter Lydon’s conversion made it 17-17 to level the score, and they took the lead just 30 seconds later.

Alun Walker gathered the restart and passed straight to Andrew Durutalo who again met a 50 metre patch of grass with no cover and he coasted through to put his side in front in dramatic circumstances. The conversion blew wide in the wind but the Trailfinders were ahead for the first time in the match.

Despite going in front the visitors struggled to build on that and it would be Richmond who took the lead with just eight minutes left to the delight of the home crowd. They had a series of scrums deep in the Trailfinders’22, and spun the ball straight to Henry Cheeseman who ran over the final defender to score. Kirby added the extras to put Richmond two points ahead.

Ward’s side then went within inches of scoring as Lewis Jones chased Kieran Murphy’s kick but an unfortunate bounce meant that Richmond escaped. The Trailfinders kept coming however and went deep in to their 22 with the final play but were stripped of the ball and the hosts smashed the ball out to confirm a frustrating defeat.

Richmond:

15 Rob Kirby 14 Jono Woodward 13 Cameron Mitchell 12 Oliver Evans 11 Henry Cheeseman 10 Lewis Dennett 9 Luc Jones 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke 2 Ross Grimstone 3 Craig Trenier 4 Will Warden 5 Chris Davies 6 Jesse Liston 7 Toby Saysell 8 Jake Parker

Replacements:

16 Caldon Pike 17 Jeremy Cunnew 18 Dave Spelman 19 Max Crawford 20 Andrew Boyce 21 Jamie Gibbs 22 Ben Cook

Scorers:

Tries: Will Goodrick-Clarke (15 minutes) Cameron Mitchell (40 minutes) Henry Cheeseman (72 minutes)

Conversions: Rob Kirby (15 , 40, 72 minutes)

Penalties: Rob Kirby (7 minutes)

Yellow Card: Luc Jones

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon 14 Will Harries (replaced by David Johnston, 40 mins) 13 Lewis Jones 12 Harry Sloan (replaced by Rohan O’Regan, 40 mins) 11 Reon Joseph 10 Laurence May 9 Ryan Foley (replaced by Jordan Burns, 45 mins) 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Matt Beesley, 65 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 45 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Elliot Millar Mills, 45 mins) 4 Jordan Onojaife (replaced by Sam Dickinson, 65 mins) 5 Harry Casson 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Andrew Durutalo 8 Rayn Smid ©

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Matt Beesley 18 Elliot Millar Mills 19 Sam Dickinson 20 Rohan O’Regan 21 Jordan Burns 22 David Johnston

Scorers:

Tries: Matt Cornish (19 minutes) Kieran Murphy (48 minutes) Rayn Smid (55 minutes) Andrew Durutalo (56 minutes)

Conversions: Peter Lydon (55 minutes)

Penalties:

Referee: Simon Harding

Half Time Score: Richmond 17 – 5 Ealing Trailfinders

Championship Cup 2018-2019 Athletic Ground

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders secured their second consecutive victory as they ground out a hard fought 31-19 victory over London Scottish at the Athletic Ground.

Tries from Rohan O’Regan, David Johnston, Will Harries and a double from Alun Walker ensured they left with a bonus point to make it 10 out of 10 in the last fortnight in Richmond and wrestle themselves back in to contention in the Championship Cup.

The Trailfinders started brightly and scored the first points of the match after just five minutes. A string of penalties saw them kick right up to the Scottish line, and the hosts were unable to stop the maul after Byron Hodge had been sent to the sin bin which allowed Alun Walker to drive over the line. Laurence May converted from the touchline to give his side an early 7-0 lead.

Rohan O’Regan scored his first try for the club on the 15 minute mark as the visitors continued to dominate the opening stages of the match. A penalty saw them enter the 22, and after going through the phases Craig Willis was dragged down just five metres from the line before O’Regan picked a great line to cut straight through the defence. May again converted to extend the lead to 14 points.

Dave Johnston then went over for the third try in spectacular fashion to put Ben Ward’s side in firm control of the game. A lineout inside the 22 went straight through the hands of the backs with a whole host of dummy runners creating space for the full-back who used his pace to dive over in impressive style. May, who had his kicking boots on sent his third conversion sailing through the posts to take the Trailfinders over the 20 point mark.

It looked as if the visitors were going to put the result beyond doubt, however two Scottish tries in the final five minutes of the first half brought them right back in to the match.

The first came from former Trailfinder Miles Mantella to open their account for the evening. They had plenty of possession just outside the 22, and Jacob Perry’s grubber kick bounced up perfectly for Mantella who ran clear to score in the corner. Perry’s conversion cut the deficit to 14 points.

Then in the final play of the half a floating pass was intercepted by Elliott Obatoyinbo who ran away from the half way line to dive under the posts. Perry converted, and the teams went down the tunnel at the break with a real contest on their hands.

The second half began in similar fashion to how the first half ended as Scottish continued their momentum. They scored their third try on the 50 minute mark courtesy of Matt Eliet. The Trailfinders had a lineout deep in the Scottish 22 but it was turned over and Mantella went racing down the pitch. A penalty was then kicked to the corner, and Eliet broke away from the lineout to catch the defence by surprise and score. Crucially, the conversion went wide meaning the Trailfinders held a narrow two point advantage.

Ben Ward’s men then gradually began to wrestle back the momentum as they went back to basics by playing the territory under the floodlights, and they were rewarded on the hour as Alun Walker’s second try secured the bonus point. A penalty gave them a five metre lineout, and in trademark fashion the hooker was at the base of the maul to rumble over the line. The conversion went narrowly wide, but the visitors now led by seven points with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Will Harries then scored an outstanding try with just five minutes left to put the result beyond doubt. With the ball on the half way line the winger sneaked down the short side and used his blistering pace to run away from the defenders to trigger huge celebrations from the visiting supporters. May failed to add the extras, but the lead was extended to 12 points.

The visitors then went through the phases in the final seconds to close out another crucial victory in impressive style.

London Scottish:

15 Joe Luca Smith 14 Miles Mantella 13 Richie Vernon 12 Ben Mosses 11 Elliott Obatoyinbo 10 Jacob Perry 9 Ed Hoadley 1 Jordan Brodley 2 Pete Austin 3 Phil Cringle 4 Theo Vukasinovic 5 Byron Hodge 6 Luke Frost 7 Matt Eliet 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Jared Saunders 17 Jimmy Litchfield 18 Richard Palframan 19 Miles Wakeling 20 Josh Barton 21 Grayson Hart 22 Fraser Lyle

Scorers:

Tries: Miles Mantella (35 minutes) Elliott Obatoyinbo (38 minutes) Matt Eliet (48 minutes)

Conversions: Jacob Perry (35, 38 minutes)

Penalties:

Yellow Card: Byron Hodge

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Howard Packman (replaced by Lewis Jones, 30 mins) 13 Guy Armitage 12 Craig Willis 11 Will Harries 10 Laurence May 9 Jordan Burns 1 Alex Lundberg (replaced by Jordan Els, 50 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 75 mins) 3 George Davis (replaced by Ben Betts, 60 mins) 4 Ben West 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Tom Denton, 65 mins) 6 Rohan O’Regan (replaced by Kieran Murphy (55 mins) 7 Jordy Reid 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jordan Els 18 Ben Betts 19 Tom Denton 20 Kieran Murphy 21 Ryan Foley 22 Lewis Jones

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (4, 60 minutes) Rohan O’Regan (13 minutes) David Johnston (21 minutes) Will Harries (73 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (4, 13, 21 minutes)

Yellow Card: Rohan O’Regan

Match Officials:

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: William Burton & Simon Park

Fourth Official: Richard Haughton

Half Time Score: London Scottish 14 – 21 Ealing Trailfinders

Attendance: 1041

Championship Cup 2018-2019 Athletic Ground

Richmond vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders got back to winning ways as they secured a hard fought 33-7 victory over Richmond to register their first win of the Championship Cup campaign.

At a blustery Athletic Ground points were always going to be at a premium but tries from Alun Walker, Laurence May, Jordan Els, Jordan Burns and Will Harries ensured that the Trailfinders left with a much-needed bonus point win.

Alun Walker got the Trailfinders off to the perfect start, scoring the first try of the match after just five minutes. A penalty allowed Laurence May to kick to the corner, and in trademark style the hooker broke away from the rolling maul to dot the ball down. May converted to give his side an early 7-0 advantage.

Richmond responded straight away however, with a try from Ronnie McLean to level the score. Three penalties in a row saw them kick right up to the line, and they went through the hands deep in the 22 with an overlap on the right wing which allowed McLean to score in the corner. Ben Cook’s touchline conversion made it 7-7 after just 10 minutes.

Ben Ward’s side then saw a number of opportunities pass them by as they went in search of the next score. Richmond managed to bring down a rolling maul as it appeared to be heading towards the line, and from the following phase Howard Packman went over but was held up as the frustration began to grow.

Neither side managed to get the breakthrough in the remainder of the first half as handling errors cost them, and with a late penalty from Cook going wide it saw the two teams go down the tunnel level on the score board in a low-scoring opening 40 minutes.

The Trailfinders again made a positive start after the break, taking the lead on the 45 minute mark to the relief of their supporters. A lineout deep in the Richmond 22 was gathered by Harry Casson, and after going through the phases a miss pass from Ryan Foley allowed Laurence May to stroll to the line unattended. The fly-half converted his own try to extend the lead to seven points.

Craig Willis then took a flat pass just five metres from the Richmond try line but in the process of being carried over the line by the supporting attackers a knock on saw the hosts escape.

The West Londoners then rallied in the final quarter to run away with the lead after a spell of three tries in 10 minutes.

Jordan Els marked his debut with a try with just over 10 minutes remaining as the visitors took control of the match. A penalty was kicked to the corner and once more the rolling maul rumbled over the line to see Els dive over. The conversion went narrowly wide, but the Trailfinders now had a crucial 12 point lead.

That lead was extended just three minutes later to secure the bonus point, thanks to an outstanding individual try from Jordan Burns. The scrum-half gathered the ball from the base of a ruck and dummied before racing away from 35 metres to dive under the posts and put the result beyond doubt. May added the extras to give his side a further cushion of 19 points.

There was still time for Will Harries to mark his first appearance of the season with a try in the final five minutes. Another maul went up to the line, and the ball was popped up to the Welshman who stepped his way over from close range. May again added the extras as the Trailfinders went past the 30 point mark.

Ben Ward’s men then closed out the match in the final three minutes to secure an impressive win over their local rivals, much to the delight of the visiting fans.

Richmond:

15 Jordan Simpson-Hefft 14 Marcus Webber 13 Morgan Ward 12 Ronnie McLean (c) 11 Jono Woodward 10 Ben Cook 9 Jamie Gibbs 1 Timmy Walford 2 Ross Grimstone 3 Craig Trenier 4 Max Crawford 5 Charlie Lenygon 6 Lorcan Dow 7 Toby Saysell 8 Harison Edwards

Replacements:

16 Rupert Freestone 17 Nathaniel Opedo 18 Dave Spelman 19 Rui D’Orey 20 Ed Milne 21 Callum Grant 22 Lewis Dennett

Scorers:

Tries: Ronnie McLean (11 minutes)

Conversions: Ben Cook (11 minutes)

Yellow Card: Nathaniel Opedo

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Howard Packman 13 Lewis Jones 12 Pat Howard (replaced by Craig Willis, 22 mins) 11 Will Harries 10 Laurence May 9 Ryan Foley (replaced by Jordan Burns, 65 mins) 1 Jake Ellwood (replaced by Jordan Els, 50 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 75 mins) 3 George Davis (replaced by Ben Betts, 60 mins) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Tom Denton, 50 mins) 5 Ben West 6 Rohan O’Regan 7 Jordy Reid 8 Kieran Murphy (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jordan Els 18 Ben Betts 19 Tom Denton 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Jordan Burns 22 Craig Willis

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (5 minutes) Laurence May (44 minutes) Jordan Els (66 minutes) Jordan Burns (72 minutes) Will Harries (76 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (5, 44, 72, 76 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: Simon Park & Gareth Holsgrove

Fourth Official: Robert Bourke

Half Time Score: Richmond 7 – 7 Ealing Trailfinders

Championship 2018-2019 Athletic Ground

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders survived a late scare to record their first win of the season after leaving the Athletic Ground with a 36-31 bonus point victory against London Scottish.

Ben Ward’s side were cruising with a 36-12 lead with just 20 minutes left on the clock but the Scots responded to make for a nerve racking ending against the Exiles.

Tries from Guy Armitage, Laurence May, Howard Packman, Alun Walker and Ben West made sure that the Trailfinders got the full five points to get a much needed victory.

The Trailfinders made a rampant start to the match as they looked to put last weekend’s result well and truly behind them. Laurence May’s early penalty gave Ben Ward’s men the lead with six minutes on the clock, and the visitors never looked back as they took control of the match in the first half.

Luke Carter’s clever box kick in behind the Scottish defence was inches away from falling in to the hands of Howard Packman, but that was just a warning sign as the first try followed with nine minutes on the clock.

A lineout just outside the Scottish 22 found it’s way in to the hands of Guy Armitage, and the centre bulldozed his way through four defenders before racing clear in impressive fashion. May, who was on great kicking form all afternoon extended the lead to 10 points with a conversion.

The second try came just before the 20 minute mark courtesy of Laurence May. Andrew Durutalo burst through the middle from a ruck on the half way line, and he drew in the final defender before releasing May who had the pace to dive over the line.

Scottish then responded with a try from Charlie Ingall on the wing. After a number of phases they took themselves right up to the line, and with an overlap on the right hand side Ingall scored in the corner. Rory Jennings converted from the touchline to cut the deficit to 7-15, but that then triggered the Trailfinders to turn their performance up again.

Howard Packman scored a brilliant try with 10 minutes remaining of the first half as the visitors extended their advantage. The winger, who got the ball well inside his own half beat his opposite number and then played an impressive one-two with Rayn Smid before using his pace to race to the line. May again converted as the Green and Whites went 15 points in front.

The bonus point try then followed as Alun Walker got his first try of the season from a rolling maul. A penalty was kicked deep in to the Scottish 22, and after the maul powered towards the line the hooker broke away in trademark fashion to dot the ball down. May’s conversion put his side 29-7 in front with half time fast approaching.

It was the home side however who ended the half stronger, as Pete Austin got their second try of the match as the hooker dummied from close range to score. The conversion came back off the post, and that signalled the half time whistle after an eventful opening 40 minutes at the Athletic Ground.

The second half continued in the same fashion as the first, with the Trailfinders wasting no time to add to their lead. After going through the phases in the Scottish 22, a pop pass hit Ben West just inches from the line and he used his strength to run over the last defender for try number five. May again converted, putting Ben Ward’s men 36-12 ahead.

Both sides then looked to capitalise on some lengthy spells of possession whilst the game lost some of it’s structure with the replacements coming on, and it was the hosts who were next to score to get back in to the match.

A penalty was quick tapped by former Trailfinder Grayson Hart, and a number of fast passes meant that they had an overlap on the wing which allowed Ingall to squeeze over for his second of the match.

The Scots then went over for their bonus point try with 15 minutes left as Ed Hoadley scored just seconds after coming on. A chip in behind bounced awkwardly which fooled Packman, and it fell in to the hands of the scrum-half who scored under the posts. Jennings converted to cut the deficit to 12 points.

Ben West was then sent to the sin bin as the pressure increased, and Billy Harding then scored from close range to send the home crowd in to raptures. Jennings converted to set up a grand stand finish.

A scrum gave the Trailfinders some much needed possession, and they went through the phases in the final five minutes to hold out for a memorable victory as Craig Willis smashed the ball in to touch to signal the final whistle.

London Scottish:

15 Joe Luca Smith 14 Charlie Ingall 13 Richie Vernon 12 Rory Jennings 11 Craig Duncan 10 Jacob Perry 9 Grayson Hart 1 Jonny Harris 2 Pete Austin 3 Phil Cringle 4 Byron Hodge 5 Tjiuee Uanivi 6 James Tyas 7 Lewis Wynne 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16. Billy Harding 17. Jordan Brodley 18. Jimmy Litchfield 19. Luke Frost 20. Ed Hoadley 21. Ben Mosses 22. Rob Stevenson

Scorers:

Tries: Charlie Ingall (24, 60 minutes) Pete Austin (39 minutes) Ed Hoadley (66 mins) Billy Harding (74 minutes)

Conversions: Rory Jennings (24, 66, 77 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon (replaced by Craig Willis, 65 mins) 14 Howard Packman 13 Guy Armitage 12 Pat Howard 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Laurence May 9 Luke Carter 1 Jack O’Connell (replaced by Matt Beesley, 62 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 60 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Elliot Millar Mills, 52 mins) 4 Ben Landry (replaced by Ollie Stedman, 60 mins) 5 Ben West 6 Jordy Reid 7 Andrew Durutalo 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Matt Beesley 18 Elliot Millar Mills 19 Rohan O’Regan 20 Ollie Stedman 21 Jordan Burns 22 Craig Willis

Scorers:

Tries: Guy Armitage (9 minutes) Laurence May (17 minutes) Howard Packman (28 minutes) Alun Walker (34 minutes) Ben West (44 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (9, 28, 34, 44 minutes)

Penalties: Laurence May (6 minutes)

Yellow Card: Ben West

Match Officials:

Referee: Michael Hudson

Assistant Referees: William Burton & Nigel Carrick

Fourth Official: Robert Bourke

Half Time Score: London Scottish 12 – 29 Ealing Trailfinders

Championship 2016-2017 Athletic Ground

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders endured a torrid night away to London Scottish under the lights of the Athletic Ground as the hosts controlled the match from start to finish to impose the visitors fourth defeat in the Greene King IPA Championship this season.

The pack earned a penalty try at the end of the first half and Alun Walker was driven over in the second half, but otherwise the hosts pulled the strings to help them climb the Championship table.

London Scottish kicked off and were rewarded for keeping their visitors pinned in their own half for the first five minutes when fullback Peter Lydon kicked a penalty to take an early lead.

They continued to exert the early pressure and Lydon slotted his second penalty five minutes later to put the hosts comfortably in control. Wing Jason Harries then opened the try-scoring when he popped up on centre Patrick Kelly’s shoulder to run in.

Ealing Trailfinders finally managed to build some momentum and Harry Casson and Willie Ryan both broke the line with powerful runs, but eventually Scottish won a turnover and kicked deep to pin the visitors back in their own half.

Again they left with points after Lydon slotted his third penalty of the night, but Scottish continued to dominate possession and Lydon scored his fourth penalty from just inside his own half.

Ealing Trailfinders weathered the pressure but were still unable to find a toe-hold in the match, but again Scottish made their pressure count when Lydon scored his fifth penalty of the night.

The first half ended with Ealing Trailfinders hammering the Scottish line and the earned their breakthrough when they were awarded a penalty try that Aaron Penberthy converted on the stroke of half-time.

Lydon started the second half as he started the first with another penalty, but Ealing Trailfinders responded by driving over Alun Walker from a lineout close to the Scottish line.

They were unable to build on it though and Lydon made it seven penalties from seven just as the clock ticked past the hour mark. That is how it remained as neither team were able to break either side down over the final 20 minutes.

Ealing Trailfinders will now face Bedford Blues at Goldington Road in the British and Irish Cup on Saturday 10 December.

Scorers
London Scottish
Tries (Harries 14), Conversions (Lydon 14), Penalties (Lydon 5, 10, 19, 22, 36, 43, 59)
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Penalty 40, Walker 50), Conversions (Penberthy 40)

London Scottish
Peter Lydon, Alec Coombes, Robbie Fergusson, Patrick Kelly, Jason Harries, Harry Sheppard, Ed Hoadley; Grant Shiells, George Turner, Ewan McQuillin, Rory Bartle (captain), Neale Patrick, Ally Miller, Danny Kenny, Ifereimi Boladau
Reserves
Devlin Hope, Jonny Harris, Dan Koroi, Callum Hunter Hill, Joe Atkinson, Craig Holland, Tom Galbraith

Ealing Trailfinders
Luke Daniels, Rhys Crane, Aled Jenkins, Joe Munro, Curtis Wilson, Aaron Penberthy, Alex Walker; James Gibbons, Alun Walker, Lewis Thiede, Harry Casson, Adam Preocanin, Willie Ryan, Arthur Ellis, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Matt Cornish, Ignacio Lancuba, Alex Penny, Llewelyn Jones, Lewis Jones, Luke Carter, Ben Ward

Referee – John Merideth
Attendance – 951

Championship 2016-2017 Athletic Ground

Richmond vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders enjoyed their first bonus-point win of the Greene King IPA Championship season when they left Richmond’s Athletic Ground with all five points on offer.

Aled Jenkins, James Cordy-Redden and Joe Munro scored first-half tries and Alex Walker, Will Harries and Luke Carter added further scores in the second half to take Ben Ward’s side up to fifth in the Championship.

Neither side was able to make the early breakthrough though Aaron Penberthy pushed an early penalty wide and Richmond’s defence stood tall whenever Ealing Trailfinders went on the attack.

Henry Cheeseman came close quarter of an hour in, but was hauled down on the line by a combination of Cordy-Redden and Willie Ryan after a barn-storming run.

Matt Corker was then held up over the line as the hosts tried to grab the early initiative and eventually Cheeseman came across from his wing to dot down in the corner following slick hands from Ronnie McLean and hooker Jason Phipps.

The lead lasted less than a minute though. Cordy-Redden collected the kick off and while he was stopped he off-loaded to Jenkins, who scored his second try in two appearances in the corner.

Cordy-Redden then came close to another when he swooped on Walker’s box kick, but was bundled into touch close to the try-line. He managed to cross the line soon after when quick hands from Harries and Jenkins set him free to run in.

McLean broke the line for Richmond as the home side tried to come back and Cordy-Redden and Harries continued testing the host’s defence with their pace out wide, but it was Munro who added to the score next when he cut an angle of Penberthy to run in between the posts for his fourth try of the season.

Walker secured the bonus point early in the second half and Harries then had a simple run-in for his first try of the season.

Arthur Ellis stopped Rory Lynn from breaking clear on a counter-attack when he was first to the kick ahead. Richmond grabbed their second try on the hour mark when scrum-half Sam Stuart forced his way over in the corner following a strong drive from their forward pack.

Mark Bright pinched a Richmond line-out as they sought to go on the attack and neither side was able to find much rhythm as the clock ticked down. However, Carter intercepted as Richmond tried to spark one last attack to ensure that the visitors had the last word.

Scorers
Richmond
Tries (Cheeseman 18, Stuart 60), Conversions (Kirby 60)
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Jenkins 19, Cordy-Redden 27, Munro 37, Walker 42, Harries 48, Carter 78), Conversions (Penberthy 27, 37, 49, Ward 78)

Richmond
Rory Lynn, Will Browne, Cameron Mitchell, Ronnie McLean, Henry Cheeseman, Rory Damant, Sam Stuart; Jeremy Cunnew, Jason Phipps, Ali Lyon, Will Warden (captain), Matt Corker, Stan South, Jack Allcock, Chris Davies
Reserves
Ross Grimstone, Timmy Walford, Adam Peters, Jamie Gibbs, Charlie Broughton, Rob Kirby, Alex Wood

Ealing Trailfinders
Will Harries, James Cordy-Redden, Aled Jenkins, Joe Munro, Curtis Wilson, Aaron Penberthy, Alex Walker; James Gibbons, Matt Cornish, Lewis Thiede, Carwyn Jones, Harry Casson, Willie Ryan, Arthur Ellis, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Rhys Lawrence, Will Davis, Alex Penny, Scott Andrews, Chris York, Luke Carter, Ben Ward

Referee – Andrew Jackson
Attendance – 1,108

Championship 2015-2016 Athletic Ground

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders ended their run of six defeats with a drama-filled win over London Scottish that moves them off the bottom of the Greene King IPA Championship table.

After a tepid first half the match opened up after half-time and by the end both teams were flinging themselves at each other, London Scottish as they chased the win and Ealing Trailfinders as they sought to hang onto their bonus-point victory.

Alex Bradley score twice, Adam Preocanin ran in his first of the season and Luke Daniels also touched down, while Alex Davies scored all four conversions for Director of Coaching Ben Ward’s team in front of a bumper crowd of 1, 260 at the Athletic Ground.

A loose kick to touch two minutes in allowed Ealing Trailfinders to take the early initiative when Bradley was driven over from Carwyn Jones’ catch, but the Exiles were soon on the scoreboard when Rory Hughes picked up from a ruck and raced home.

Hughes nearly escaped for a second from a set-piece move in the Scottish backs, but Ealing Trailfinders fullback Daniels came up with a try-saving tackle five yards out.

It marked a rare highlight in a first-half that was dominated by two teams happy to boot the ball into the air, either side of packing down for seemingly never-ending scrums or clearing up badly thrown line-outs.

Eventually Ealing Trailfinders broke through the mediocrity when former Scottish player Preocanin cantered home after Callum Wilson had broken the Scottish defence with a powerful run.

The visitors added their third one minute after the restart when Daniels raced onto Alex Davies’s long kick and enjoyed the bounce of the ball to race in.

Scottish hit back with some ferocious play, but Ealing Trailfinders captain Rhys Lawrence secured a vital turnover to allow Davies to clear just as Scottish were threatening the visitor’s line.

Peter Lydon slotted a penalty for the hosts and it had the requisite effect of lifting their spirits and shortly afterwards Chris Walker dived over after George Horne’s nimble feet had found a way through the Ealing Trailfinders defence.

Once again though the visitors struck next when Bradley ran hard off Davies to dive over from close range and secure the bonus point.

Scottish responded with a try from Oli Grove to set up a grandstand final 10 minutes. Davies was sent to the sin-bin, but a well-timed Preocanin line-out steal and James Stephenson intercept allowed Ealing Trailfinders to clear their lines.

Daniels again saved Ealing Trailfinders after Horne had crossed the line. Scottish were penalised at the scrum, but Ealing Trailfinders failed to clear their half yet again. It summed up the frantic mind-set that gripped both teams as the clock ran down.

There was one last chance for the Exiles, but as they tried to drive over from a line-out they were penalised for a truck and trailer and from the resulting scrum Ealing Trailfinders number eight Chris York broke and when the ball came back Alex Walker hammered it to safety.

Scorers
London Scottish
Tries (Hughes 9, Walker 54, Grove 69), Conversions (Lydon 54, Lydon 69), Penalties (Lydon 48)
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Bradley 4, 57 Preocanin 36, Daniels 41), Conversions (Davies 4, 36, 41, 57)

London Scottish
Peter Lydon, Jason Harries, Robbie Fergusson, Oli Grove, Rory Hughes, Dan Newton, George Horne; James Gibbons, Adam Kwasnicki, Matt Shields, Neale Patrick, Will Carrick Smith, Mark Bright (captain), Chris Walker, Freddie Clarke
Reserves
Jack Cosgrove, David Cherry, Geoff Cross, Rory Bartle, Tyrone Moran, Matt Heeks, Lee Millar

Ealing Trailfinders
Luke Daniels, Callum Wilson, Sam Stanley, Joe Munro, James Stephenson, Tristan Roberts, Alex Davies; Will Davis, Rhys Lawrence (captain), Michael Holford, Carwyn Jones, Adam Preocanin, Harrison Orr, Alex Bradley, Chris York
Reserves
Jamie Kilbane, Alun Walker, Sam Rodman, Llewelyn Jones, Arthur Ellis, Alex Walker, Will Harries

Referee – Andrew Jackson
Attendance – 1, 260