Their high tempo ball-in-hand attacking created numerous early first half opportunities that they somehow failed to convert, but they remained composed to secure two late first-half tries. Broadstreet rallied in the 2nd half, pulling back two tries of their own but unable to bring the deficit to within a score, Josh Trinham’s try in the corner securing a winning lead for the hosts.

Stour looked to run the ball at the visitors from the start, a move off scrum ball producing a clean break by winger Joe Bridger coming into the line at pace. His pass found Trinham who fed the ball back inside just before the cover forced him out. James Otutaha was held up short but Stour pressed and a deliberate knock-on by the visitors’ scrum half Nick Thatcher earned him a spell in the sinbin. Stour kicked to the corner but coughed up possession and Broadstreet cleared.

Back came Stour, the ball worked wide to Trinham who scorched up the touchline before linking with hooker Billy Harding. Prop Stef Thorp linked with Bridger but the cover got to him just short of the tryline. Play went back for an offside and fullback Tom Mitchell stepped up to secure 3 points.

Broadstreet looked to run lineout ball but outside half Rod Petty stole possession and Stour countered at pace down the right touchline, lock forward Chris Roddy making big yardage before feeding inside to Harding who was brought down just short. Stour recycled quickly but a pass went loose and the visitors countered in turn down Stour’s wide open right flank. The cover scrambled back to haul down a runner, but the visitors pressed the attack with a chip over the cover that wrongfooted the Stour defenders and looked a certain try until centre Todd Freemantle fumbled. The visitors’ outside half Dan Richards opened their account with a penalty, though he was to miss with a long range effort shortly after.

Undeterred Stour continued to attack at pace and again they made big inroads down the right flank, this time through no.8 Connor Nicholls. He just couldn’t get a pass away to his support runners though, Stour having to recycle and probe again before putting Trinham through. He drew the defender but his flip pass was fumbled by the support runner and another gilt-edged opportunity went begging.

The visitors tried to move the ball but found Stour’s defences swarming all over them, another turnover forced by flanker Joe Carpenter. Stour went right again, Chris Depper reaching the 22 where they recycled, scrum half Toby Handley hared up an undefended narrowside and offloaded to Heatley who scored.

The next attack saw Nicholls burst through, he couldn’t offload though and was hauled down in the shadow of the visitors’ posts where a side-entry transgression was penalised. Harding reacted quickest, taking a quick tap penalty to burst through two defenders and score. Halftime 15-3.

The pace of the game took its toll on both sides, matters getting distinctly scrappier after the break. Broadstreet put the Stour scrum under pressure, and from a short range drive Stour old boy Stewart Pearl barged over to bring the visitors back within a score.

Stour hit straight back when Mukarati secured a penalty for holding on and Mitchell landed a well-struck penalty. It got better when ball was stolen at a lineout near the visitors’ 22 and moved down the backline, Trinham scoring in the corner.

Stour brought on the replacements and started to kick from deep, inviting the visitors to run at them. Broadstreet threw everything into attack, Stour’s penalty count started to rise sharply and in quick succession Roddy and Mukarati were despatched to the sin bin, leaving their 13 colleagues to hold off the siege of their goal line. Their determination paid off though, the waves of attack were denied and a fumbled pass was hoofed clear by Heatley. The visitors weren’t done though, forcing another scrum penalty and working Freemantle into space to crash over in the corner.

While Stour will be disappointed not to have secured a bonus point they will take heart from the number of tryscoring opportunities their attacking game produced and at how mean their defence proved, even when reduced to 13 men.