Hartpury in last-gasp Dillingham turnaround

By Ben White

Ampthill …………32pts

Tries: Thompson 3, Hallett 36, Barton 45, Beaton 67

Conversions: Barton 4, 37, 46

Penalties: Barton 30, 59

Hartpury …………36pts

Tries: Hunt 6, Short 12, Johnson 33, Protheroe 50, Penalty 76

Conversions: Bazalgette 13, 34, 51 Penalty: Bazalgette 79

Hartpury claimed just their second away win of their league campaign, coming back from a six-point deficit in the final five minutes to pinch it.

Speaking after his side’s victory, Hartpury head coach Mark Cornwell said: “We could’ve easily folded at the end, the boys showed a lot of character to come back, but we gifted points to the opposition.

“We had control for large periods and it shouldn’t have come down to the last five.”

Match Action

Ampthill scored the first try after just three minutes, with a close-range maul, finished off by Luke Thompson.

The visitors responded well to the early setback, scoring two tries in the following ten minutes to lead 12-7.

After a yellow card to Ampthill back Byron Sharwood for a deliberate knock on in the fifth minute, Hartpury punished them almost immediately, with top try scorer Ethan Hunt finishing off a rolling maul.

The Mob were shown another yellow in the 11th minute, this time to Richard Barrington for cynically killing the ball near the try line, and after only a couple phases from the resulting lineout, Harry Short grounded the ball.

Despite Josh Barton reducing the lead to two points with a penalty on the half-hour mark, Hartpury scored their third try three minutes later.

A superb cross-field kick from Harry Bazalgette was collected by Jack Johnson, who crossed the whitewash unopposed.

Ampthill cut the deficit back to 17-19 before half-time in the 36th minute. Hartpury struggled to play their way out, and following a loose pass in their own in-goal area, Josh Hallett picked up the ball and dotted down.

Second Half

Ampthill retook the lead five minutes into the second half, after punishing another error. A loose pass, this time inside Ampthill’s 22 was intercepted by Barton, who sprinted to the try line.

The visitors once again were quick to respond, scoring their bonus-point try in the 50th minute to reclaim their advantage.

The ball shifted towards the left, where Matt Protheroe went through strolled across the line. Barton slotted his second penalty of the afternoon in the 57th minute to give Ampthill a 27-26 lead, and just under ten minutes later, The Mob extended their lead to six.

After driving a rolling maul close to the try line, Harvey Beaton forced his way over from close.

Hartpury snatched the win late in the game, after being awarded a penalty try in the 76th minute, for an infringement at the rolling maul.

The visitors closed out the game with a long-range penalty from Bazalgette.