Chinnor claimed their biggest Championship scalp to date in earning their fourth league win of the season against a lacklustre Bedford Blues at a very windy and muddy Kingsey Road.
The 18-5 victory, in what were squalid Oxfordshire conditions, lifts Chinnor to 7th in their debut Championship season while Bedford Blues are now looking over their shoulders in third, falling 13 points off the top.
With mud playing a part, both teams began life trying to adjust to the conditions although Chinnor were the quickest off the line as they forced territory in the early exchanges.
However, it took almost half an hour for the scoreboard to be troubled in an attritional affair as Kieran Goss crossed in the corner to give the home side a valuable lead.
Despite Dean Adamson attempting his trademark chip and run late on in the first half, the scoreboard remained at 7-0 heading into the break, with the Blues once again needing to mount a comeback.
That comeback would never materialise as the ugly game continued into the second half, with Chinnor extending their lead with a second try ten minutes into the second half courtesy of Alun Walker.
Nothing Bedford Blues were trying worked in what was an immensely frustrating afternoon, ending covered in mud and without anything to show for it.
A pair of penalties from George Worboys took Chinnor 18-0 clear and the Blues were risking coming away with no points until a late Michael Le Bourgeois consolation try at least got Bedford on the board with the final play.
It capped a dismal afternoon for Mike Rayer’s side, who are now just one point clear of Hartpury in fourth.
The battle of the breakdown
“It was obviously really disappointing”, said forwards coach, Tom Cruse after the game.
“We struggled to get any momentum; the majority of the first half was played in our territory and when we look back at the game, we fundamentally lost the battle of the breakdown.
“It invited Chinnor on to us quite a bit, and they capitalised and scored a couple of good tries.”
“You’ve got to learn from it. There are certain areas around managing the game early on we can look at. It’s not a case of ripping up the book and starting from scratch.
“We’ll learn from it and we’ve got a big game next weekend against Cambridge back at Goldington Road.”
Elsewhere, the division’s big game between the top two went the way of Ealing Trailfinders who are now eight points clear at the top of the Championship with a 35-25 victory at Coventry.
Hartpury kept up the pace on the Blues with a 21-7 win against Nottingham, while there were rare victories for Cambridge, 13-7 against Ampthill, and Caldy who have finally put a win on the board with a 20-10 triumph over London Scottish.
Cornish Pirates host Doncaster Knights on Sunday (22 December).
Bedford Blues return to Goldington Road next Saturday 28 December to host Cambridge in their annual festive clash, with a sell out expected.
Mike Rayer will be hoping to return his side to winning ways and hold on to third spot in the Championship.
