Hat-trick of wins

Stevenage Town 27 Enfield Ignatians 13

Stags made it three wins in a row in a vital league encounter at North Road.

Starting the day exactly level with their opponents - same total points and even points difference - Town knew that only a win was good enough.

Town went ahead in the first minute through alert flanker Iain Penny. He charged down an attempted clearance, collected the ball, and ran in under the posts to give Gareth Lewis a simple conversion.

The home side's backs created two more great scoring chances within the first 10 minutes, only to be denied by last-ditch tackles.

The visitors replied a penalty before Lewis broke free to score and convert the try to give Town a 14-point lead.

Within five minutes, during which Town relaxed and gave away a series of penalties, Enfield scored a converted try worked from a penalty move and added a further penalty.

Ahead by just four points, Town responded well in the second half with the forwards working hard to provide quick ball.

It was just reward that number eight Gareth Roberts forced his way over in the corner to stretch the lead.

The loose forwards continued to dominate, the rest of the pack rampaged at the visitors' defences, and the backs combined well to cause a constant threat.

With 10 minutes left to play, the Town defence put the visitors under immense pressure, Lewis intercepted a pass and ran more than 60 yards to restore a 14-point cushion.

The last minutes were spent in Town's own 22 as the visitors threw everything they had left at the Stevenage line. They were met by resolute, uncompromising defence in all phases of the game, where Town turned over scrum, lineout and tackle possession.

Town are at home to old rivals Tring in the next round of the Herts Presidents' Cup on Sunday (2pm ko) and entertain Hampstead in the league the following Saturday.