Cinderford overcame a spirited challenge from Bury St. Edmunds in a highly entertaining encounter that saw 12 tries scored.
The home side made the early running and opened the scoring after seven minutes when winger Alex Frame gathered up a kick ahead to claim a try, which Liam Hemming converted. Then a superb break from Hemming put centre Ed Bogue away to score Cinderford’s next try, with Hemming adding the conversion. The visitors put together some good phases of play, but could no breach the home defence and Cinderford moved back up field to score again, when following a series of pick and goes near the try line prop Joe Smart forced his way over, with Hemming’s conversion making it 21-0 after 28 minutes of play.
Bury quickly responded with their opening try, a well taken effort from scrum-half Matt Harrison. Back came Cinderford though when they shoved their opponents back off their own ball at a 5m scrummage and No8 George Evans claimed a pushover try, again converted by Hemming to make the half-time score 28-5.
The visitors opened the scoring in the second-half when the ball was moved out wide for winger Dwayne Corcoran to cross for an unconverted try. The Forest of Dean side responded well with Frame and then Evans both crossing for their second tries, before once again the visitors showed plenty of spirit to also score twice in a four minute spell through prop Luke Beales and a second from Corcoran, both of which were converted by Liam McBride.
There was still time for a couple more tries, with Bogue showing good skills to recover a loose pass and beat several defenders on his way to scoring his second, but it was the visitors who had the last say when flanker Matt Edison went over for his team’s fifth try.
Cinderford; Stefan Hawley, Alex Frame, Terence Babarinsa, Ed Bogue, Reuben Norville, Liam Hemming, Clive Stuart-Smith, Joe Smart (Capt.), Nathan Taylor, James Elliot, Aaron Ryan, Dale Lemon, Matt Lane, Lewis Beer, George Evans.
Replacements; George Porter, Tim Brockett, Harry Hone, Matt Bennett, Jack O’Connell.