Third time lucky for Diss

IT was third time lucky for this fixture, which had been re-arranged twice due to freezing weather.

Diss kicked off and immediately put pressure on a Chingford team, whose poor kicking in defence allowed the hosts to camp in their 22 for most of the first 15 minutes.

Diss then scored from a catch and driven line-out deep inside opposition territory, when Pete Bray looked up on the blind-side and drove over for a try. Tom Holt missed the conversion.

Shortly after, Diss lost his brother Ricky to an ankle injury in the very next phase of play.

After a brief reorganisation and a call to the subs bench, the match continued with both sides unable to keep the ball. Possession changed hands too many times for either coach to be pleased with.

The first half ended with a penalty to the visitors – duly converted by their fly-half.

The home side returned to the pitch with a lot more purpose in the second period. but it was Chingford that took a one-point lead after being awarded a second penalty.

Then, from a defensive scrum to Chingford in their 22, the ball shot out the back and Diss captain Matt Richards, playing No.6, was on hand to score in the corner. Tom Holt converted the kick out wide for the extra two points.

The Chingford pack were overwhelmed for the last 20 minutes as the Blues’ No.8 took it to them.

Pete Bray scored his second try, again from a catch and drive, and was unlucky not to get a hat-trick from an unsighted referee. Tom Holt converted.

Will Foote came off the bench to the delight of older members of the crowd – who remember him in his heyday – and showed an evergreen attitude to the game.

But the last word was left to Ali Abercrombie, from another driven maul, when he scored the final and bonus point try in the corner.