Ealing 1871 2nds outscored MMT Division 1 league leaders London Sussex two tries to one but ultimately fell short by conceding a string of penalties, five of which were converted. It was a measure of Ealing’s outstanding defensive work that the opposition had to rely on kicks to outscore them.

London Sussex began aggressively and put early pressure on the Ealing line, which held firm. However, 7 minutes into the game a straightforward penalty yielded the first three points of the game, and the lead was doubled 10 minutes later. Despite playing most of the opening period in their own half, 1871 scored the first try of the game. Captain Kavan Fitzpatrick won clean line-out ball following a penalty, the forwards drove on and prop Dan O’Mahony feinted to pass left before diving over. The conversion by Calum Jones put his side into a lead they held until the break, thanks to outstanding resistance on the try line in the last play of the half.

Ten minutes into the second period the visitors kicked their third successful penalty to re-take the lead and after missing a further opportunity stretched the advantage to 12-7 with a quarter of the game left to play. Pressure eventually told with a try down the blind side of a scrum, but Ealing went back onto the attack, and the story the day was crying out for came to pass. Abdou Traore, in his last game for the club before returning to France, came in from the right wing, punched a hole in the London Sussex defence and was there again to take an offload from UCFB student George Forster and finish the move, unleashing wild celebrations. The conversion by Ben Parkinson was successful, leaving the game delicately poised at 17-14, but try as they might Ealing were unable to bridge the gap, and the visitors closed out the game with yet another penalty. The London Sussex players and supporters left no doubt that they had been pushed all the way and celebrated in cup-winning fashion.

Tries: Dan O'Mahony, Abdou Traore
Conversions: Calum Jones, Ben Parkinson

Yellow Card: Kayci Bernard