Ampthill hit back against promoted Chinnor for first win of season

Head coach Paul Turner said “Our first half performance was as poor as I can remember.

“At half time 21-12 down with 13 players on the pitch it's safe to say we were staring down a barrel on our home patch.

“A few things got sorted out in the second half and we got back in front with some great finishes from our outside backs.

“A win with five points is always good but we have a lot to address and work on.”

Ampthill broke the deadlock in the 13th minute after a sublime delicate chip over the top from skipper Josh Barton was brilliantly caught and grounded by Angus Hall.

The Villagers responded well and levelled eight minutes later, with Rob Hardwick burrowing his way underneath the Ampthill defence, converted by Connor Slevin.

It didn’t take long for the Mob to retake the lead, with flanker Max Eke diving across the line from close range in the 26th minute.

After Josh Barton missed the conversion, Ampthill led 12-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

The last seven minutes of the opening 40 proved to be very damaging for the hosts, leaking 14 points and also being reduced to 13 men.

With the infringements mounting up, the referee yellow-carded lock Kennedy Sylvester, and after another penalty conceded at the rolling maul, he gave a penalty try and another yellow card, this time to prop Harvey Beaton.

Leading for the first time in the match, Chinnor scored their third try of the afternoon and they led by nine points at the break.

A hopeful kick through by Kieran Goss was superbly finished by scrum half Luke Carter.

Ampthill’s fightback began on 47 minutes as Vereimi Qorowale broke before a pass over the top to Angus Hall sent him away to score with ease.

Despite Josh Barton missing the conversion, Ampthill turned a four point deficit into a three point lead less than 10 minutes later.

After taking a quick tap penalty 5m from the Chinnor try line, Brandon Jackson strolled across the try line, before Chinnor levelled the game with a Connor Slevin penalty in 62nd minute.

But after charging down a Chinnor kick, Ampthill centre Josh Hallett ran it in from just outside the visitors 22 to give the Mob a seven point lead, following a successful conversion from Evan Mitchell.

In the 68th minute Ampthill’s lead was reduced to two points as hooker Alun Walker grounded the ball from close range.

But a missed conversion from Connor Slevin meant that The Villagers were still behind.

Ampthill managed to hold onto their lead in the remaining minutes, with a late penalty miss from Slevin proving crucial.

Another harrowing experience at Butts Park Arena saw Bedford Blues fall to a 45-7 defeat against old rivals Coventry.

It was about as bad as afternoon as one could imagine with Bedford off the pace from the first whistle, losing the physicality battle all afternoon and struggling to match their opponents in pretty much every department of the field.

A carbon copy of the last few years on hostile territory, Blues paid the price for poor discipline and never really recovered from conceding less than three minutes into the contest.

Coventry ran riot for the most part and were exceptionally well drilled, barely putting a foot wrong while Bedford struggled to put a foot right.

Oisin Heffernan scored a nice try after patient build up play in the red zone from the team.

But that was all the team could muster in terms of points on the board alongside the conversion from the Will Maisey.

The benefit of an even numbered lead is that games come thick and fast this season so Blues will have the chance to put things right against Hartpury this weekend.