Belsize Park 26-17 Westcombe Park RFC

3 short range scores coupled with a penalty try were enough to thwart Combe in an early kick off on Chiswick RFC's all weather pitch. Combe's cause was not helped by 3 yellow cards for technical offences in a game which was not allowed to flow.

The North London side got out of the blocks first with Combe being penalised a couple of times giving Belsize Park good field position. Westcombe Park had to defend a 5 metre scrum and, with both front rows crumpling,it looked like a re-set was in order. However, the referee spotted a defender fringing offside, awarded a penalty try and yellow carded said defender. 7-0 for Belsize Park with 14 minutes gone.

The visitors then got their own game going with good ground made by hooker Jordan Dehaarte and an encouraging run from Matt Harrison supported by Sal M'Boge. Around the 20 minute mark Combe were battering the Belsize line but defence verging on the illegal kept the attacks at bay and a final effort was held up over the line.

Combe got on the scoreboard after 26 minutes. Dehaarte collected loose ball at a lineout, passed to winger George Perkins who charged forward and fed his fellow winger Dan Hamilton to run in the try. In the gusting wind the conversion was missed. Belsize Park then had their period of pressure which met with stout defence. With a couple of minutes to go to the break that pressure told and, with a number of short range pick and goes, the Combe line was breached for a converted try. From the restart Westcombe Park were under pressure and went down to 14 men for the second time for another offside infringement.

Half time Belsize Park RFC 14-5 Westcombe Park RFC

For the first 10 minutes of the half, play rattled around between the two 10 metre lines with neither side managing any fluidity or territorial advantage. But it was again Belsize Park that gradually gained traction and with 50 minutes scored their second close range try to extend their lead to 19-5. 10 minutes later Combe narrowed the gap when a fine through kick from stand off Harvey Young was collected 30 metres out by Perkins who ran in the try which was converted. The gap was narrowed to 2 points with the best move of the match. Hamilton sprinted through the defence out on the right and passed inside to Perkins who raced in for his second try which was converted by Young. 19-17 with 10 minutes to go.

But the win was to be denied as well as a losing bonus point. Combe went down to 14 players for a third time for an offside 20 metres from the line. Belsize camped in Combe's 22 and scored their third close range try adjacent to the posts. The successful conversion was the last event of the game as the whistle blew for fulll time and Belsize celebrated their win 26-17.

With 6 games left Combe will need to be on their mettle to achieve league success and have an opportunity to show this against next week's opponents HAC at Goddington Dene.