National League One

Cinderford 27

Ealing Trailfinders 24

AT long last Cinderford's players are starting to show the same belief in themselves that the coaches have always had.

This was a tight, entertaining game, but Cinderford started and finished the better.

The hosts didn't have to wait long for their first try. Rory Teague cleared his lines with an excellent touch-finder, his forwards stole the resulting line-out and several pick-and-drives later, Will Foden dived over in the corner.

It got even better when Joe Smart found himself in a great attacking position. The prop beat Ealing's rush defence with a smart sidestep, with Teague adding the conversion.

Ealing hit back with a try from lightning-quick winger Phil Chesters, who raced onto a Ward kick. Ward converted.

Teague made it 15-7 with a 40m penalty, but Ealing forged into the lead with a strong spell of play. Jon Moyce peeled off the back of a rolling maul to touch down, with Ward converting and knocking over a subsequent penalty from in front of the posts.

Moving the ball at pace, Ealing extended their lead in the 51st minute with a try from Andrew Neilson, again coverted by Ward.

Cinderford needed the next score and they got it – with a try from man of the match George Evans, converted by Teague.

The Foresters weren't going to give up without a fight and when their pack shoved Ealing off their own ball, Evans broke from the rear of the scrum and fed Wilcox, who ran virtually the length of the field for a sensational score in the corner.

Chesters looked like he was going to spoil the party when he made a clean break, but Nev Codlin chased him down with a try-saving tackle.

The finale was tense, but Ealing could find no way through a dogged home defence.

Cinderford: Mike Wilcox, Lloyd Stapleton, Simeon James (Dewi Scourfield 72), Rob Winchle, Nev Codlin, Rory Teague, Danny Pointon (Ben Draper 59), Yann Thomas, Tom Bozzard (Sam Wilkes 54), Joe Smart (Tom Heard 54), Ben West, Ed King, Will Foden, Adam Nicholls (capt, Luke Allen 72), George Evans.

CINDERFORD Stags proved too good for Thornbury II, winning 54-7 at The Bridge.

Cinderford took an early lead through a Lewis Smith penalty.

Tries followed before the break from Mike Wallis (2), Dane Bradley, Chris Williams and Gareth Baldwin, with a couple of Smith conversions making it 32-0.

The second half was closer as Thornbury played down the slope.

Smith scored a fine try which he converted himself.

Chris Williams was next over the line following a strong run, with Pat Worgan selling an outrageous dummy to send everyone the wrong way and round things off nicely.

A second half penalty and a conversion gave Lewis Smith a haul of 19 points.

Cinderford's man of the match was Jamie Baglin.