Southern Counties North
GROVE went second after defeating an ill-disciplined Milton Keynes side 35-20 at Cane Lane.
The visitors finished with 13 men after full back Wayne Kelly and flanker Steve Christie were red-carded, while both their props were sin-binned.
Grove, who themselves had prop Steve Dixey yellow-carded for retaliation, were awarded six straight penalties early on, with fly half Dave Maryon slotting one of them.
It was 10-0 after ten minutes when referee Philip Ware awarded a penalty try and Maryon converted.
Milton Keynes edged back with a penalty from fly half Phil Powell, but Maryon replied in kind.
Powell converted a try to make it 13-10 at half-time.
Dave Johnson broke well for Grove’s second try, converted by Maryon.
Maryon added a penalty either side of two Milton Keynes’ tries, but Grove kicked on following Christie’s red card.
Tries from scrum half Owen Gustafson and replacement Harry Carr sealed a bonus point, Maryon converting the former.
Wallingford were felled by a last-minute penalty as they lost 22-20 at home to Windsor.
Leading 20-19, full back James Driscoll’s kick dashed Wallingford’s hopes.
Windsor scored early on from a driven line-out, with Driscoll converting.
Wallingford fly half Ralph Smith reduced the arrears with a penalty, then they showed their own line-out catch-and-drive prowess with a try from flanker Rich Bower.
Windsor regained the lead with a try, but Wallingford No 8 Ian Jeffreys powered over for Smith to convert before half-time.
Jeffreys’s bulldozing run set up try No 2 for prop Kris Blaszko, but a try, converted by Driscoll, made it 20-19 before the same player sealed the comeback.
Alchester could not recover from a poor first half in their 26-10 defeat at Aylesbury.
Four tries and three penalties made it 26-0 at the break.
Alchester improved and their pressure paid off on 55 minutes when fly half Adam Thompson was driven over.
Ten minutes later, back-rower Lou Byrne crashed over for a second try, but the damage had been done.
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