Cinderford showed great strength of character to snatch a victory over Cambridge in the closing moments, having played for over an hour with 14 men following No8 Harry Hone’s dismissal for an alleged dangerous tackle.
Mike Mayhew put the home team ahead with a try from a driving maul, but the visitors soon responded in similar fashion when Hone touched down and Stefan Hawley landed the conversion. After Hone’s red card, his team went behind when Ned Brown forced his way over with Rhodri Adamson adding the extras to make it 12-7 at the interval.
Cinderford’s powerful forwards kept them in contention throughout and seven minutes into the second-half they levelled the scores when Nathan Taylor was driven over. Adamson put Cambridge back in front when he landed a penalty on a rare incursion into their opponents territory. The final ten minutes were all Cinderford as they battered away at the home line and were eventually rewarded when prop George Porter bundled his way over for the winning score, which Hawley converted.
Cinderford; Ed Sheldon, Sam Smith, Terence Babarinsa, Jack Hayes, Ed Bogue, Stef Hawley, Jimmy Williams, Joe Smart (Capt.), Nathan Taylor, James Elliot, Tyler Jerrum, Dale Lemon, Matthew Gilbert, Matt Lane, Harry Hone. Replacements; George Porter, Tim Brockett, Joe Mullis, Ben So’oialo Chan, Alex Frame.