Cinderford kept up their hopes of a best-ever finish in National One with a convincing eight-try victory over Darlington Mowden Park.
The perfect conditions produced a game full of open running rugby that saw three tries scored in the opening ten minutes of each half. It was the visitors who opened the scoring after just two minutes when turnover ball was spun out wide for Max Davies to go over for a try, which Garry Law converted. Cinderford responded immediately when they kicked a penalty into the corner and hooker Nathan Taylor was driven over for the first of his three tries in the match, with Reece Boughton converting.
Taylor scored again in similar fashion after eight minutes, with Boughton again on target with the conversion. DMP went close to scoring on a couple of occasions, but the home defence held firm before a well-judged cross-field kick enabled home winger Will Hendy to gather and score wide out. The home side scored their bonus point try just before half-time when Boughton scored and converted his own try following some great handling in the threes.
The second half got off to a cracking start with quickfire tries for the home team from Mike Wilcox and Mike Austin both of which were converted by Boughton, before Callum Mackenzie responded with a try for the visitors, which Law converted. Taylor then completed his ‘hat-trick’ before Austin scored his second try of the afternoon to complete the scoring.
Cinderford; Mike Wilcox, Will Hendy, Will Baldwin, Jamie Forrester, Tim Andrew, Reece Boughton, Mike Austin, George Porter, Nathan Taylor, Tim Brockett, George Evans, Joe Dancer, Matt Lane, Aaron Ryan, Harry Hone (Capt.)
Repls; Joe Smart, Sam Baker, Mat Gilbert, Jack Shields, Ed Sheldon.