In losing to a last-minute try after an even contest in which they dominated up front but were bettered in the wide channels, Ealing Trailfinders 1871 suffered their first defeat since their sole reversal of the previous promotion season on 4 October 2025.

A crowd in excess of 200 watched the game at Aylesbury’s well-appointed ground in the first encounter between the clubs for many years. Finishing fifth in Regional 2 Thames last season, Aylesbury offered a good yardstick by which to judge Ealing’s prospects in the league, and it proved to be a match of tight margins. The game began with the two sides looking set for a close result, and it was the home side who drew first blood when Ealing knocked on in a promising position and in a swift counter-attack worked the ball out to the left wing for the opening score. Despite this early setback, 1871 began to dominate in the loose, with both props Akeem Eubank-Anderson and Leo Codrington-Lambert repeatedly punching holes. With 10 minutes gone fly half Harry Vidler kicked a penalty 10 metres out to touch, and the resulting maul was driven to the line with hooker Luke Parry touching down for an unconverted try. Three minutes later the A’s came close to scoring with a quickly taken penalty close to the line. Ealing scrum half Calum Jones was deemed to have not retreated, although he was behind the try line when he came into contact with the attacking player, and was yellow-carded, with a penalty try awarded. His team did not concede during the 10 minutes he was off the field, and indeed reduced the gap to 14-10 with another penalty lineout catch and drive finished by Parry. Aylesbury missed the chance to add to their lead with a straightforward-looking penalty kick, and within a couple of minutes, with the referee playing advantage at a dominant Ealing scrum, a neat short pass by inside centre Alex John put captain Lewis Steadman into space for a fine try converted by Vidler. The lead was short-lived, however, with the A’s taking a quick penalty and working the ball out to the dangerous left wing, who drew the last man and gave a scoring pass to the outside centre. In time added on at the end of the first period Jones, drafted in to play at scrum half in the absence through injury of Richard Rhydderch-Roberts despite usually playing at 10, made a fine break down the right-hand side of the pitch and sent out a scoring pass to Vidler, who was unable to convert his own try from the touchline.

With just a point in it at half-time, Ealing leading 22-21, there was again little to separate the two teams in the second period. Aylesbury re-took the lead 11 minutes after the break with a well-worked move among the backs and an easy conversion from in front of the posts. Ealing struck back 8 minutes later after a period of sustained pressure through the pack, enabling Steadman to notch his second try of the day courtesy of a short pass by James Barrow on debut. Vidler converted to put his side ahead once again at 29-28. With 14 minutes left on the clock, Akex John suffered a nasty accidental head injury, causing great concern as he lay prone on the ground. Both sides’ physiotherapists attended while an ambulance was called, and the game was halted for 45 minutes before the ambulance left. Later in the evening, to the relief of everyone, it was learned that he had suffered concussion rather than anything more sinister and was able to go home. On resumption of play, Ealing managed to hold onto their slender lead but were fortunate to see a fairly straightforward penalty attempt miss as the end of the game approached. However, in the last move of the game victory was snatched from their grasp with a breakaway Aylesbury try down the left wing from inside their own half.
Ealing came away from Buckinghamshire with two league points for a narrow defeat and five tries, and will next meet a strong Beaconsfield side at home on the evening of Friday 9 October. Ealing man of the match was Akeem Eubank-Anderson who made hard yards with his direct running throughout the game, while his fellow prop Leo Codrington-Lambert was nominated by the opposition.

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