Stevenage Town 41 Vauxhall Motors 3 There was only ever going to be one outcome of this clash between the newly crowned league champions and bottom of the table and already relegated Vauxhall Motors. This was despite Town not being at their best and Vauxh

Stevenage Town 41 Vauxhall Motors 3

There was only ever going to be one outcome of this clash between the newly crowned league champions and bottom of the table and already relegated Vauxhall Motors.

This was despite Town not being at their best and Vauxhall Motors making up for what they lacked in skill by showing great endeavour and commitment right up to the final whistle.

Stags, possibly with their minds on this Sunday's Herts Presidents' Cup final against Hertford, tended to over emphasise the forward play and did not make maximum use of the opportunities they created when they brought the backs into the game.

Certainly their finishing this weekend will need to be far more clinical against a side two leagues higher than them.

Stags were able to control the game without being put under any pressure themselves and they would have won by a cricket score had they taken all their chances.

The writing was on the wall for Vauxhall after only four minutes when from a lineout 15m out, Town drove over for number eight Gareth Roberts to score the first of his hat-trick of tries.

His second try came inside 10 minutes, when Roberts rode several tackles within a confined space close to the touchline to run in under the posts. Gareth Lewis converted.

Town had to wait until the 35th minute to record their third try.

From a rare foray into the Town half by Vauxhall, the ball was turned over and moved swiftly for Michael Wilson to break and put Alex Willcox in to score a fine try.

Right on the stroke of half time, Vauxhall were awarded a penalty inside the Stevenage half, which was put over for their only score of the afternoon.

Town went into half time with a lead of 17-3 and the second half followed the pattern of the first with pretty much one-way traffic towards the Vauxhall Motors try line.

Within seven minutes of the restart, Gary Trewartha made an excellent break from a scrum, fed to Lewis, who in turned put Wilson in to score a try, later dedicated to his son Henry born on Easter Monday.

This was followed 10 minutes later when swift handling in the backs allowed Lewis to run in from 25 yards with support queuing up outside him. Lewis converted his own try.

Two more tries followed, firstly from hooker Tavita Faamausili, who touched down after good work from Barry Cook, and then Roberts completed his hat-trick from a number eight pick-up from a dominant Stevenage pack. Faamausili's try was converted by Lewis.

Coach Terry Penny was philosophical afterwards when he said that with the league already won, minds were already on Sunday's county cup final clash.

He was pleased that his side had done enough to be worthy winners and maintained their unbeaten league record.