JACK Harris scored a remarkable hat-trick as Cinderford United overturned a 12-point half-time deficit to defeat Old Redcliffians 26-24 in a thrilling encounter at The Bridge.

The hosts trailed throughout much of the contest before Matt Tinker's late conversion secured their first lead of the afternoon, completing a memorable comeback on captain Dan Nicholls' 150th appearance for United.

Harris was the driving force behind the recovery, crossing three times from driving mauls as a youthful Cinderford side demonstrated tremendous determination against strong opposition.

Old Redcliffians had looked firmly in control during the opening half, establishing a 12-0 advantage through two tries as United struggled to find their rhythm.

The visitors opened the scoring with a converted try from a driving maul before their left winger crossed in the corner to extend the advantage.

Cinderford were unable to respond before the interval, leaving them facing a considerable challenge to turn the contest around.

However, the home side emerged with renewed purpose after the break and began to make their physical presence felt.

Harris provided the breakthrough when he powered over from a driving maul, with Charlie Stallard adding the conversion to reduce the deficit to five points.

Old Redcliffians responded immediately, scoring another try in the left corner and converting to restore a 19-7 advantage.

United refused to allow the setback to derail their recovery and produced an impressive attacking move to bring themselves back into contention.

A clever offload from Dewi Wilcox created an opportunity for debutant Joby Fissenden, who crossed for his first United try.

Stallard converted again to make it 19-14, before Harris struck for a second time from another driving maul to level the scores.

With momentum swinging towards Cinderford, the visitors regained the initiative when they charged down a kick and scored an unconverted try to move 24-19 ahead.

The hosts were once again required to find a response, and Harris completed his hat-trick with another powerful finish from a driving maul.

That left the scores level at 24-24, with Tinker stepping forward to attempt the crucial conversion.

He made no mistake, sending the ball between the posts to put United ahead for the first time.

Cinderford then managed the remaining minutes intelligently, protecting their narrow advantage to secure a dramatic victory.

The result provided a fitting celebration for Nicholls, whose milestone appearance was recognised following a performance built on resilience and collective determination.

Paul Morris praised the character of his young side while acknowledging the quality of their opponents.

He said: "This could turn out to be an important victory for a very young United side who never gave up against a good Old Redcliffians side.

"We made many mistakes, and some are annoyingly repetitive. However, our passion never wilted, and the effort grew throughout the game."

Morris highlighted the contributions of experienced players Nicholls and man of the match Wilcox, alongside the emerging talent within the squad.

He singled out back-row players Jack Hall, Alfie Roberts and debutant Fissenden for their performances.

Reflecting on the dramatic finish, Morris added: "If I'm honest, I'm not sure Old Reds deserved to lose, but the grit we showed in the last 15 minutes was palpable, and that edged it for us."

He also praised Tinker's decisive conversion and thanked the home supporters for their contribution.

For United, the victory represented an encouraging demonstration of the squad's potential, with younger players stepping forward to deliver a memorable result on a landmark afternoon for their captain.