Stef Cooksammy’s try finally put their noses in front but the injury voodoo struck again, 3 front rowers going down meaning they had to close out the game with uncontested scrums and just 14 men on the pitch. With barely 20 fit players to select from Stour had to play all but the last quarter hour without a recognised goalkicker on the field, this came back to haunt them as they elected to kick penalties to the corners but found their lineout misfiring, attacking field position all too frequently coming to nought.

A team largely unchanged since the disappointing performance at Luctonians saw Sione Tu’ipolotu return at inside centre, pushing Tom Jarvis to full back to replace the injured Jon Higgins. Chris Depper & Jordan Page also started, Ciaran Moore & Dale Garner dropping to the bench where they joined Gareth Bown, leaving outside half Gary Dipple with the early goalkicking duties.

Lions kicked off defending the southern end into a northerly breeze that stiffened as the game went on, the low sun in the eyes of the hosts’ back 3. In the opening phases Stour looked to counter kicks with ball in hand, Eji Uzoigwe creating a linebreak but the defenders realigned quickly and the opportunity was lost to a handling error. The visitors took a quick tap and gained a lot of yardage when Jake Nash strayed offside, a scrum binding infringement then gave them a long range penalty that they opted to kick for the corner. The ball was driven up the middle where lively winger Dev Constant spotted Stour’s right side defences consisting mostly of front 5, he called for the ball at first receiver, darted through a gap and scored under the posts. 10min 0-7.

The restart found Constant who again ran at the tight forwards and made big inroads before the attack was forced into touch. A neat pass off the floor from Stef Shillingford allowed Uzoigwe to fashion another linebreak, but an overcooked follow-up kick gifted ball and territory straight back. Stour’s scrum came under pressure and coughed up possession near halfway, Lions no.8 Rob Young broke and made it to the Stour 22 before a last ditch tackle by Bressington held out Constant. The visitors opted to scrum a short range penalty but Stour’s pack held them out and they cleared after a penalty for obstruction. Dipple kicked again to the 22 where the visitors tried the old trick of failing to engage to a maul, Stour worked it wide though and were awarded a penalty for offside that he converted. 19min 3-7.

Stour’s front row started to impose themselves in the scrum, their opponents penalised as the pressure came on. This was again kicked to the 22 where a handling error in midfield was reprieved by a clearance kick direct to touch. The forwards put together a set of drives and secured a further penalty at the tackle, this too went to the corner but the throw was overcooked, the visitors seizing the loose ball. Back came Stour, another set of drives setting up an opening for Drew Harper but Uzoigwe’s offload failed to go to hand, Lions countered ball in hand and were awarded a kickable penalty. To the corner it went but they couldn’t force a maul over so moved it wide where a turnover went loose and came perilously close to disaster before Bressington just grounded the ball in in-goal. Loose ball at the base pf the scrum set up an unlikely Uzoigwe clearance kick and the visitors conceded a penalty for going off their feet at the tackle. Dipple kicked to the 22, scrappy ball was moved wide and the visitors conceded another penalty for side entry. Dipple opted to kick at goal but it rebounded from the upright and with little pressure from a kick chase the visitors were able to clear. Stour worked lineout ball wide with some precision cut-out passes, finally stretching the Lions’ defences to breaking point when Mark George found himself with an overlap. He straightened the attack and fed Bressington who saw off the cover to score out wide. 36min 8-7.

The restart saw Stour concede a lineout just outside their 22 from which the visitors drove a maul. It was held out but at the cost of a penalty that Lions kicked to the corner, they got their maul going again and this time were not to be denied, loosehead Ben Spokes the man to touch down. Halftime 8-12.

Moore replaced Robbie Hurrell at halftime but was penalised for offside in the early kick exchange, Dan Burke’s kick at goal drifting right though. A lineout near the Stour 22 set up a Lions drive that saw Young drive holes into the defences, centre Nat Donnachie shrug off a couple of tackle attempts and 2nd row Matt Tuckey crash over. 50min 8-19.

Stung by this Stour came back with intent, the restart recovered and moved at pace to force an eminently kickable penalty for side entry. To the 22 it went, a series of drives were just held out before the defenders flooded a tackle, forced a turnover and cleared. But Stour kept the pressure up, the visitors coughing up penalties that they continued to decline to kick at goal. A driving maul was finally forced over for captain Nigel Mukarati to score at the base. Dipple converted, 61min 15-19.

Stour secured the restart kick and Nash hoisted a hanging downfield kick. It went loose, Constant bizarrely hacking it crossfield where Tu’ipolotu gathered and set up an attack that made big yardage down the left. The forwards drove infield to pull in the defences before Nash moved the ball wide and Cooksammy was put clear by Jarvis, reclaiming the lead with a try in the corner. 63min 20-19.

Another kickable penalty was declined despite Bown’s arrival on the pitch, but the kick for touch was scuffed, the lineout throw little better and the visitors recovered possession. Both sides tried to up the tempo, Lions’ fullback Jack Spittle weaving his way past defenders before Tu’ipolotu managed to intercept a pass that he hoofed downfield for Cooksammy to chase, he secured the ball but was unable to locate a support runner. Back came the visitors, breathless stuff. Stour’s lineout misfired again, the visitors secured a penalty and kicked for the 22 where a series of drives were held out but at the cost of both Adam Sturdy & George going down injured. Both were replaced but the visitors turned the screw at the next scrum and Stour’s makeshift front row was penalised. With just 5min to go Burke slotted the kick at goal to retake the lead and Garner was forced off without replacement as the scrums now had to go uncontested. 75min 20-22.

Stour looked to run it as the clock ran down but the visitors spread wide and absorbed the attacks. A penalty for a high tackle enabled them to run the clock down deep in Stour territory, when the hosts did recover it they were denied any momentum in the contact area, forced passes failed to go to hand and the game slipped away as a turnover was conceded. Full time 20-22.