Amphill hammer Havant

The Mid Beds side, who made five changes from the side that defeated Dorking, including a first start at hooker for 21-year-old Richard Muncaster, touched down six times in this romp.

Utility back Joseph Murphy, a summer signing from Dunstabilians who had been out injured for three months, was also on the bench for the first time.

Amps were forced to defend manfully for the opening 20 minutes, but their forwards gradually began to work their way into the game with their backs looking increasingly threatening.

And they took the lead on 22 minutes when scrum-half Kieron Davies broke from a breakdown on the visitors’ 22, sold a dummy and made it to the line to score with fly-half Daniel Pointon adding the extras.

And five minutes before the break Amps moved the ball quickly across the line and full-back Daniel Lavery’s perfectly-weighted grubber kick enabled Adam Shaw to score.

Things got even worse for the unfortunate visitors when winger Lee Anker finished off a sweeping move just two minutes into the second half, with Pointon easily converting.

Ten minutes later centre Jonathan Raven finished a move in which the backs and forwards had combined to secure a bonus point, with Pointon again on target.

With the bench emptied and a comfortable lead established, Ampthill took their foot off the throttle and allowed Havant to score a fine 67th minute converted try.

Amps responded with Raven touching down his second try on 72 minutes, before a catch-and-drive move saw prop Simon Emms come up with the ball five minutes later, with Pointon twice on target.

The visitors scored again off the last play of the game as their left winger claimed his second try of the game.

This weekend Amps travel to Staines, who have pushed fellow high-flyers Barnes, Hertford and Dorking hard this season.

Bedford Athletic struggled to contain a strong Mansfield side, who had the edge up front, as they ran out 29-13 winners in Midlands One East at Putnoe Woods on Saturday.

Although Ath edged the second half 10-7, the damage had been done and the points lost before half time.

The home side scored first, converting their second penalty of the day through Sam Richbell on six minutes.

It did not take Mansfield long to respond as they capitalised on a dropped ball from the kick off and went through the phases before Aiden McGregor eventually barged his way over in the right-hand corner for the opening try of the day.

The conversion was missed, but Mansfield made the most of their second visit to the Ath half 10 minutes later when fly-half Lee Shaw slotted home a penalty.

Mansfield added to their tally on 25 minutes when several missed tackles following a lineout allowed centre Ryan Hough to stroll over with Lee Shaw converting.

Three attacks had given the visitors a 15-3 lead as Ath displayed a tendency to over-complicate matters in attack as too many errors crept into their game.

And Mansfield made it 22-3 at the break when their number eight broke through a gap and set up centre Jonno Williams to touch down, with Shaw adding the extras.

Ath looked to make amends in the second period and hit back when some direct running by Tommy Mills set up wing Ben Mann to score in the corner.

Richbell failed to convert and the visitors kept them at arm’s length with a penalty.

The Bedford side continued to plug away despite frequent infringement by the visitors.

Ath scored a second try with five minutes to go when Chris Mills burrowed over for the try following sustained forward pressure, although Richbell again missed with the conversion.

This left Ath with too much to do and too little time to do it in to gain a bonus point.

Bedford play three teams below them in the three-week period before Christmas, starting with a trip to Wellingborough on Saturday.