In doing so they condemned their hosts to a nervous final 3 rounds as they were drawn further towards the relegation battle. Two sin binnings meant Stour played the 4th quarter with only 14 men, but a try for Nigel Mukarati had secured an 18 point lead early in the 2nd half that they defended grimly, Preston only breaching the defences with the final whistle imminent.

Caolan Ryan returned at outside half, pushing Gary Dipple out to the wing. Dale Garner was back from international duties with Germany, Jordan Page taking the bench duties where he joined Jack Spencer who had recovered from injury. The pitch was soft after heavy morning rain, Preston elected to play the first half with a stiff breeze on their backs and would have been pleased that it had shifted to across the pitch by half time.

Stour secured the kick off but were turned over in contact near halfway. Preston countered, fullback Mark Murray breaking through before Dipple’s tackle brought him down just short of the Stour 22, but crucially enough defenders reached the breakdown to slow the ball up and allow the defences to reset. Preston elected to kick at goal from a penalty award but outside half Lewis Allen’s attempt flew wide. Back they came ball in hand from the drop out but a forward pass produced the game’s first scrum and a kick exchange won by Murray’s wind-assisted punt which found touch deep in the Stour 22. A knock-on gifted the hosts a short range attacking scrum but the Stour pack got a nudge on so Preston looked to drive up midfield. They didn’t commit enough bodies to the breakdown though, Ben Barkley securing a turnover from which Stour countered, an excellent kick chase securing a penalty for not releasing just outside Preston’s 22. Ryan declined the shot at goal and kicked to the corner, Ciaran Moore drove off the maul and Barkley barged his way over with an assist from the post padding. 11min 0-7.

Stour shipped a couple more penalties in the tackle area, Preston kicking for field position deep in the visitors’ 22 but good work by Ben Hughes turned over their lineout and Ryan hoofed clear. Preston ran it back but spilt the ball in contact, and with a 2-man overlap Stour work it right, Stef Shillingford reaching halfway before drawing the last defender to put Nathan Bressington clear to score in the corner. Ryan landed a difficult conversion. 22min 0-14.

Allen pulled back 3 points when a further tackle area indiscretion drew a lecture from referee Michael Harris and a tactical switch as Page replaced Garner. 25min 3-14.

A neat Ryan offload put Shillingford through a gap, he made 30m before the cover closed in, his cross-kick for Dipple shepherded into touch by the retreating defenders. Stour went for a catch & drive from the lineout but Mukarati couldn’t ground it and an attacking 5m scrum was awarded. Drew Harper’s drive pulled in 3 tacklers, Ciaran Moore crashing over in the follow-up drive despite the attention of two defenders. 33min 3-21.

Stour then appeared to lose focus, a rash of wayward passes conceding ground and eventually a lineout in their own half. Preston moved it right down the threequarter line where some indifferent tackle attempts were shrugged off by left wing Sam Kendall who gratefully claimed the score. 38min 10-21. Preston conceded a late penalty near their 22m line but Ryan pushed his attempt wide. Halftime 10-21.

With Jack Spencer on for Sturdy another turnover secured by Barkley saw Stour counterattacking early in the 2nd half. Bressington’s chip ahead was carried into and grounded in the in-goal by a defender to give Stour a 5m attacking scrum. Some wayward passing forced them back though, Ryan attempting a long range drop goal that fell well short. The clearance kick failed to find touch though and Stour came again, Barkley carving a hole in the defensive line to be pulled down just short, Mukarati in support for the quick pick and drive that secured the bonus point 4th try. 45min 3-28.

Preston’s next attack reached the Stour 22 where a tackle offence was penalised, Allen slotting a straightforward kick at goal. 49min 6-28. A half-break by Shillingford set up promising attacking position for Stour in the next phase set, but a side entry at a ruck drew a penalty & Preston cleared. Toby Handley was on the receiving end of some unsubtle footwork as he attempted to roll clear of a tackle, to add insult to injury he was penalised following a tetchy exchange of pleasantries between the packs. Preston rumbled a maul to just short of the Stour line and launched a wave of attacks that the disciplined defence just managed to hold out, a handling error finally allowing them to reorganise. Ryan attempted an audacious chip out of his 22 but it backfired when a defender reached it first putting Stour straight back into defence, but a strip in the tackle by Eji Uzoigwe recovered the ball and this time Ryan hoofed it long.

Preston wouldn’t lie down though and a line break by centre Bill Woof reached the shadow of the Stour posts, Dipple penalised for not releasing in the tackle and despatched to the sinbin. Stour cleared and profited from a Preston knock-on, Uzoigwe pouncing on the loose ball to feed Ben Hughes but his offload to Mukarati was picked off and Preston cleared the danger. After some further exchanges between the forwards Preston secured a lineout on the Stour 22 and launched a driving maul that was pulled down at the expense of another yellow card, this time for Jack Spencer who passed Dipple on his way back on.

Preston kicked for the corner again looking to use their man advantage, they were unable to set a maul so launched a prolonged assault on the Stour line. The defence held though, and eventually the hosts conceded a penalty for side entry that Ryan booted long. Preston attacked from their own 22, and with Robbie Hurrell down injured Stour’s 13 defenders were outflanked, Allen taking a scoring pass on the Stour 22. Full time 28-18.

With a week off over the Easter break, next up on April 11th Stour host league leaders Hull Ionians who need a win to stay clear. Stour will be looking to avenge the 50 point drubbing they took at Brantingham Park earlier this season, they can draw inspiration from the thrilling victory they secured when Ionians last visited in a November 2012 top of the table clash