A much changed ENFIELD IGNATIANS’ line-up from the one that victoriously took to the field against Finsbury Park and Old Millhillians suffered a disappointing 27-17 loss in round three of the Counties Two Middlesex Shield at Donkey Lane.

In a game which had important ramifications for the new-look league table, Ignatians, leaders after Rounds One and Two, have slipped behind their opponents on Saturday (28 Marc) Finsbury Park.

Despite a nasty looking injury (broken tibia) to Chris Langan, late in the first-half, and all at the club wish him a prompt and speedy recovery, Ignatians regrouped strongly and they were certain given plenty of direction by the half-back pairing of Dan Shaw and Jack O’Toole in particular.

In the forwards, Seyi Adeosun, asked plenty of questions of the Actonians’ defence, with some good carries, as Ignatians exorcised their early scare demons (the visitors missed a kickable penalty amongst others) by claiming a well-worked try.

A searing break from the ever-dangerous Mary Madden’s Man of the Match Jack O’Toole took play deep into enemy territory, before backs and forwards combined to work in Senior Academy graduate Emmanuel Okafor in the corner. It proved to be a memorable occasion for the promising left winger as it marked his first try at senior level.

Ignatians continued on a positive trajectory for most of the half. The mercurial Jack O’Toole (pictured) proved a constant handful with his probing breaks, complete with a sublime 50-22 kick, with Alfie Fordham also floating a neat grubber close to the Actonians’ line.

Playing with their heads as well as their hearts in the warm sunshine, Ignatians continued to ratchet up the pressure, but for no appreciable return on the scoreboard, as silly mistakes combined to blight their game at key moments.

Consequently, Actonians, having got little change out of the home pack, tried to stretch their rivals at every opportunity through the hands, before striking out from an attacking lineout on the Ignatians’ 22. Alas, Ignatians fell victim to a sucker punch of failing to properly defend the 5m channel, as Actonians poured through, before the visitors successfully pulled play to the opposite side of the field where a neat dink over the top pre-faced the equalising try.

The successful conversion attempt which rebounded of the uprights heralded a 7-5 half-time lead for the visitors, although Ignatians could certainly dwell on a number of positives; Liam Horn and Henry Sibley won some good ball in the lineout; they gained good some traction via the maul; and they defended the difficult 13 channel reasonably well by swapping around their centre pairing.

The second-half, in marked contrast, with the game transferred to the second team pitch to enable Chris Langan to be treated, was disappointing, and a poor third quarter, in which the hosts struggled to escape from their own half, proved critical to their fortunes.

Struggling to get on the front foot, Ignatians also bypassed on a golden opportunity as Actonians were also reduced to 13 at one point after copping a couple of yellow cards (one for a high tackle – the other for a cynical piece of play).

Still, there was no escaping that Actonians came out firing early in the second-half, and the upshot from their perspective was their ability to get behind the defence, and with beleaguered Ignatians eventually dropping off tackles, the visitors claimed a converted try, followed by a successful penalty strike, which left the hosts with a bit of a mountain to climb at 17-5 down.

Eventually, Ignatians, started to exploit the open spaces and scrum-half, Dan Shaw, does what he does best by darting clear up the blindside, and with no one at home and hugging the far touchline, he scampered clear for the home side’s second try.

The conversion attempt was missed but Seyi Adeosun, having got a second-wind, proved a veritable handful and his ability to break tackles proved key, as he gave the defence the run-around after being unleashed in the opposition half. Proving unstoppable, he gave the last line of defence the slip, and with Dan Shaw, adding the extras, dead-on to the uprights, the game was evenly poised again at 17-17 which, in the general scheme of things, would have been a fair result at this point.

Instead, having done the hard part, Ignatians’ game management let them down as they attacked from deep from within their own half. Their play was invariably telegraphed, and so easy to read, and gallingly, an intercepted pass spelled disaster as Actonians cashed in on the sucker punch for the decisive try.

The bill became a little more expensive after the visitors added the extras, before nailing a late penalty strike, which gifted Actonians the points – in addition to denying the home side a valuable losing bonus point which could prove crucial in the overall context.

Ignatians get a shot at redemption in the away leg of the Shield against Finsbury Park on Saturday 28 March.

Finally, a big thank you to the Canadian referee for his firm and fair direction of the game.