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.