Chinnor 45, Old Patesians 25

IT says a lot about a side when they score six tries and win by 20 points without actually playing that well.

At times Chinnor were irrepressible as they chalked up their fifth successive National 3 South West victory, but at others they looked sluggish and made sloppy errors.

Old Patesians, however, didnot lie down and thoroughly deserved their bonus point.

Centre George Hughes kicked the visitors ahead with a second-minute penalty and that remained the score for almost half an hour.

Chinnor should have hit back almost immediately, but prop Joe Pickett wasted a great overlap and was stopped short.

The hosts were let off when Hughes missed an easier penalty than the one he had landed.

Chinnor flanker Tom Mowbray was possibly fortunate to escape with just a yellow card after a late and high tackle on wing Dan Burrows that ended his game on 19 minutes.

Burrows was later taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in an ambulance.

Chinnor raised their game while down to 14 men and full back Mark Chase looked to have set up Pip Seymour following a great break, but the wing could not hold an easy pass.

The breakthrough came on 29 minutes when Sam Stoop’s flick pass allowed fellow centre Matt Goode the space to power over, fly half James Cathcart converting.

Cathcart added a penalty, but Chinnor had been second best for much of the half and could not prevent flanker Marcus Brown forcing his way over on 39 minutes.

Chinnor were much improved after the break, although they fell behind again on 45 minutes when fly half Matt Dean dummied through for Hughes to convert.

Then came three tries in four scintillating minutes that effectively clinched Chinnor’s victory.

First, their outstanding No 8 Liam Gilbert shredded the defence with a show-and-go, Cathcart converting.

Then, from the restart, flanker Harry Jackman and Gilbert ran the ball back with power and aggression to set up try No 3 for Stoop.

Old Pats had barely drawn breath before Goode slipped a tackle to burst over and Cathcart made it four conversions out of four.

The visitors rediscovered their tenacity and sent wing James Aherne over on the left for 31-20.

Gilbert finished off some good off-loading on 75 minutes and, with Cathcart having been replaced, converted his own try for good measure.

Full back Danny Davis grabbed the visitors’ fourth try on the right.

But there was still time for Chase to canter in for Chinnor’s sixth, set up by wing Tom Gray and inevitably Gilbert, who slotted the conversion.

Chinnor: Chase, Seymour, Goode, Stoop, Gray, Cathcart (Colver 73), Jones, Winpenny (capt), Tattersall, Pickett (Whelan 56), Devine (Ramsdale 72), Smith, Mowbray, Jackman, Gilbert.

Referee: C Maxwell-Keys (Midlands).

Man-of-the-match: Gilbert.