Enfield Ignatians 3rd XV 33 Hamstead 3rd XV 31

The Enfield Ignatians' third team edged a thrilling Derby clash with Hampstead 33-31. A victory that bought with it an added bonus as the fixture doubled up as a Herts-Middlesex League Merit Table Two league and cup fixture, and enabled the club to complete a weekend cleansweep at senior level after the successes of the first and second teams.

Captain Mickey Piper, himself heavily involved in the creation of one the tries, was understandably waxing lyrical after the win. "It
was the best game we have played (under his captaincy), and one in which we were able to successful blend the experienced heads with the emerging talent, as five of our players are under 20."

It was also a fixture in which Ignatians twice came back from the dead as Hampstead, in their best traditions as a running side,
started briskly by 'hammering' their way into a 19-3 half-time lead.

However, Ignatians threw themselves a priceless lifeline just before the interval after Leighton Thomas burst through which took his side to within nine points of the visitors.

Ignatians were smartly out the blocks after the break and the pressure paid off as a they landed a penalty, which allied to a brace of tries from John Cunningham, edged them into a narrow 23-19 lead.

But this only served to prompt a stinging response from Hampstead and the men from the 'Heath' lifted themselves by fashioning two tries of their own, one of which was converted, to go 31-23 up with six minutes remaining.

Staring defeat in the face, Ignatians again dug deep, and Thomas completed his brace after latching onto Piper's pass, which set set up a grandstand finale.

With barely two minutes left on the clock, Ignatians secured a famous win after St Ignatius College recruit, James Murphy, ran a
quick penalty before off-loading to prop Shaun Quinn, who smashed his way over the line to secure a famous win.