After shooting themselves in the foot last week with defeat at Chelmsford, Ipswich reloaded and swept aside their opponents with a superb performance.

Skipper Chris Blom opened the scoring with an archetypical burst under the posts from 15 metres out. That it took 10 minutes for the home side to score is testament to the calibre of South Woodham Ferrers who weren’t about to take the kind of beating at Humber Doucy Lane that others have endured this season.

Blom’s try was converted by John Lasbrey, as was Carlton Littlechild’s effort a short time later.

Built on a stingy defence, wingers Tim Hopkins and Jermaine Watson got in on the act, the former ripping ball from forwards and the latter making textbook try-saving tackles.

The opposition attempted to get back in the game but after an unsuccessful attack, were hit with a sucker-punch moments later when the hosts scored an unconverted third try.

The second half saw Ipswich turn the screw and most notable in this was centre Mark Broughton whose timing and delivery of a pass to Will Davis, who scored under the posts, was sublime.

Outstanding too was his cohort Ryan Potkin who made purposeful runs throughout the game.

For all that, the most crowd pleasing moment came midway through the second half when Blom picked the ball from the base of the ruck and took a direct route over his prone opponents. Having done this, he found himself in splendid isolation and headed for the line, 40 metres away. Blom’s touchdown represented the road to redemption that the Ipswich skipper had completed in the space of a week.

From captain in title to captain in deed, as he touched down in the corner he looked as though he needed a defibrillator - but by now his opponents needed gas and air.