The away side started superbly with Henry Bird and Jak Rossiter breaking down the right before the latter was tackled high, and after the penalty, Rams went through phase after phase until James McRae found an opening next to the posts.

The conversion was added to by Fraser Honey, but second-bottom Stortford, belying their lowly position in the National One table, came into the game and pinned their opponents back with an effective kicking game.

The visitors’ discipline also began to erode as the half went on, again gifting the Hertfordshire side field position from which they eventually made their mark, a nice handling move finished by Chris Smith.

The wing cut back inside to make Tom Walker’s kick easier, and after he levelled matters, Stortford went in front in rapid order with Rams again their own worst enemy.

Having conceded three penalties in quick succession Walker’s 45-metre shot at goal fell short, only for a knock-on to gift the hosts a five-metre scrum.

And it was Walker who made amends as he glided over for a score he added to for a 14-7 half-time lead.

Rams, though, again came out of the blocks sharply at the start of the second period, McRae doubling his tally with another close-range effort.

Home skipper Will Rogers had been sin-binned in the build-up for stopping an Ollie Cole tap penalty, and when Honey converted to level the scores, it seemed the visitors had the momentum.

Yet Stortford continued to battle gallantly, and the game remained in the balance heading into the final quarter-of-an-hour before a moment of Henry Bird brilliance.

From a scrum inside their own 22, the visitors went from deep and the full-back’s arcing run saw him show both pace and power to go some 70 metres before a perfect inside ball sent Rossiter over in the right-hand corner.

With the drizzle beginning to sweep in at Silver Leys, it was now the home side whose discipline waivered – three times they were marched back for excessive conversation with the referee – and having defended the Rams maul well throughout, they buckled at the last as Rossiter was allowed a simple score from a metre out.

Stortford came again with time running out, but when their own maul was held up over the line – Charlie Robson earlier making an incredible try-saving tackle – the game was done and the visitors were back to being four points behind leaders Chinnor.