Ealing Trailfinders 45 - 13 Lydney
Saturday 15th March

Ealing Trailfinders completed a league double over National Three South rivals Lydney with a comprehensive 45-13 win at home on Saturday.

The hosts scored seven tries to Lydney’s one, but the visitors were unlucky not to have scored more points in a first half in which they had the upper hand. A number of missed chances and two interception tries by Ealing handed the home side the lead. Ealing, however, rode their luck and came out strongly in the second half to run away with the game as Lydney were unable to match the heights of their early effort.

The result means that Ealing reclaim fourth place in the league table.

Lydney enjoyed early pressure and were rewarded with a Davies penalty on three minutes. They could not then take further advantage of their domination of possession and territory and a converted Charlie Gower interception try gave Ealing a 7-3 lead against the run of play. The visitors struck back with a try from second row Paul Kiely after a series of rucks close to the Ealing line. Davies converted to reclaim the lead 7-10.

It was short-lived as Ealing began to better control possession and put pressure on the Lydney line. An ill-advised chip by Lydney fly half Davies inside his 22 went straight to Gower who ran in his second try of the afternoon. Ben Ward kicked the conversion to put Ealing up 14-10.

Ealing moved further ahead three minutes later when an incisive back move sent scrum-half Carl Bradshaw over for 19-10. Lydney could have been ahead at half time but squandering a handful of chances and a couple of unfavourable bounces from cross-kicks with the try line unguarded added to their frustration. Their consolation was a Davies penalty on half time to close the gap to 19-13.

The second half was a different story. From the kick-off Ealing went on the attack, playing at a higher tempo than in the first 40 minutes. A bullocking run by Dave Essien set up position in the Lydney 22 and Owen Bruynseels went over almost unopposed to secure the bonus point.

Lydney’s adventure of the first half was replaced by a more conservative game plan that posed few problems for the Ealing defence and were unable to establish any position in Ealing territory.

The game was settled as a contest when Essien and Neville Edwards scored two tries in five minutes as Ealing’s pressure told. A second Essien try on 31 minutes, converted by Ward from the touchline, added a gloss to the result.