MATCH REPORT: SIX-TRY TITANS SEAL STORTFORD SUCCESS

RAMS Titans maintained their Raging Bull Shield Division One title hopes with a six-try 34-12 win at Bishop’s Stortford Blues.

It took less than two minutes for the visitors to open the scoring during an electric start, Ben Atkins peeling off a maul to make good ground before a lovely off-load sent scrum-half Ed Hoadley across the whitewash.

Cameron George converted, and Titans moved further ahead shortly after as centre Ellis Jones firstly made a strong dent in midfield before then throwing a lovely looping pass to Aaqil Attah to dive over on the right.

The visitors grabbed a third try in a little more than 10 minutes when a huge double tackle from Miki Duda and Brad Clements forced a turnover, and following a couple of phases, a fine Atkins carry and a beautiful long Hoadley pass, Liam Goodison was able to stroll in from some 40 metres out.

Stortford got on the board shortly before the half-hour mark, however, their opponents unable to deny a rumbling five-metre maul, and Harry Clemshaw struck a good kick from out wide to reduce the arrears to 17-7.

It was Titans who would have the final word of the first half, though, Finn Matthews scything through in midfield with a dazzling run from inside his own half, the full back unselfishly then drawing the final man before putting the bonus-point score on a plate for Karl Quartey.

The centre touched down under the posts, and George made no mistake no give his side a 17-point interval lead.

The third quarter passed without much incident until the away side pulled further clear with Matthews again the creator, the Reading University student gliding down the left before setting-up Zach Clow for Titans’ fifth of the afternoon.

A line-out steal helped kick-start the visitors last of the afternoon, Jones then breaking from inside his own 10-metre line up to the Blues’ 22 before freeing the returning Solo Radianirova to open his account for the campaign.

To their credit Stortford continued to battle gallantly, and they had the final word when wriggling over from close range for an injury-time second try.

However, it was too little, too late as fourth-placed Titans completed a seasonal double over their rivals and closed the gap on table-topping Richmond Vikings (2nd XV) to 11 points, Rams with a game in hand and also due to host the leaders later this month.

Before that, though, they welcome Wimbledon 2nd XV to Old Bath Road on Saturday.