Ampthill shock table-topping Ealing with fightback win

Ampthill head coach Paul Turner labelled it one of the best displays in the club's history and said, “Ealing are a quality team.

“They kept forcing us into errors in the first half and deserved to go in 21-7 up.

“We spoke to the players at half-time and said our discipline had to improve and we had to be clinical with any opportunity presented.

“To their credit the players have done that. I’m very proud of our performance - it's definitely up there with the best in our club's history.

“To win the second half 22-0 up the slope says a lot for the players' efforts.

“The result gives us confidence going into our next block of games and I’m sure Ealing will show their quality and still win the league.”

Trailing 7-0, Ampthill levelled the match in the 28th minute, Brandon Jackson brilliantly finishing in the corner.

But the league leaders responded quickly, opening a 21-7 lead.

At the start of the second half, the scrums became uncontested with both of Ealing’s hookers replaced due to concussion, and this seemed to spark the Ampthill turnaround.

Just eight minutes into the second half, Ampthill reduced the arrears as winger Tobias Elliott, sidestepped the Ealing defender, before outmuscling the Trailfinders' recovery defence to ground the ball in the corner.

The hosts continued to apply the pressure, and scored another try just before the hour mark.

Iwan Shenton combined magnificently with his second row partner Ollie Stonham, with the latter strolling across the whitewash.

But Ealing still held a 21-19 lead, following a missed conversion from Josh Barton.

Ampthill then led for the first time in the 63rd minute as a loopy pass was intercepted by Tobias Elliott, who ran almost the whole length of the pitch to help secure the try bonus point. A simple conversion by Josh Barton extended the lead to 26-21 with just under 15 minutes left.

The Mob defended with huge resolve to stop an Ealing fightback in the latter stages, and Barton slotted a penalty with just three minutes remaining.

Bedford Blues enjoyed a 48-19 victory over The British Army at Goldington Road, running up eight tries to make it nine wins in a row in this fixture.