With neither side able to mount much sustained pressure in their opponents half, it was Caldy’s ability to take the opportunities that came their way that proved decisive.

The game started at high tempo, Caldy attacking ball in hand through the phases before an attempted chip through rebounded back into their half. The cover got to it first, Caldy reorganised quicker and moved the ball wide where Stour’s defences were outnumbered, winger Nick Royle put clear to run in under the posts.

A scrum infringement from the restart gave Scott the first of six successful kicks at goal, outside half Jack Levin responded in kind when Stour were penalised at a lineout but Scott struck back after a tackle offence.

Stour declined a long range shot at goal and drove from a lineout in the Caldy 22, the ball worked wide to winger Josh Trinham but he was bundled into touch just short of the line. Stour turned over the lineout and launched a set of short drives, but the Caldy defences held firm and eventually a ball carrier got isolated and was penalised.

Levin pulled a long range attempt wide but Stour then coughed the ball up with a handling error near halfway, Royle chased a kick down the touchline and all the covering Scott could do was concede a lineout in Stour’s 22 from which Caldy executed a copybook catch and drive, flanker Nyle Davidson getting the touchdown. Scott hit back with another penalty shortly before halftime to make the score 9-17 at the break.

Stour started the 2nd half positively, driving an attack deep into the Caldy 22 before squandering possession with a chip ahead. Caldy cleared but Stour countered, the ball moved right but a disastrous stray pass was picked off by Royle who raced 70m to score under the posts.

Stour continued to throw the ball around, Caldy conceding a couple of penalties at the tackle area that Scott slotted. Stour pressed attacks but possession was regularly coughed up through poor tactical kicking or handling errors, allowing Caldy to kick deep and oblige Stour to attack from their own half. A further tackle transgression and some uninvited advice for referee Neil Chivers earned Caldy tighthead Derek Salisbury a yellow card and Scott pulled the deficit back to 6 points with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Replacement James Rodley made a welcome return, albeit in the unfamiliar position of inside centre. With the clock running down Scott declined a long range shot at goal and instead kicked for the corner from where Stour were finally able to start turning the screw with a set of drives which saw the defence coughing up penalties. With time running out Stour twice opted to scrum but the Caldy pack held out, and despite the loss of no.8 John Collister to the sin bin they sealed victory by driving Stour off their own feed, kicked the ball dead and celebrated the sound of the final whistle.