The dank conditions early on were not significantly worse than they had been last week and Stortford started the game in similarly bright vein, but things just didn't come together as they had done at Rams. Under pressure in the scrums throughout, they also found Rotherham far tougher in the mauls, so chances were not easy to come by. The home side, nevertheless, took the lead after 9 minutes, through a Mike Cooke penalty, when the visiting pack was penalised at a scrum for the only time in the game. With both sides making handling errors, Rotherham gave as good as they got for a period, as their scrum got well on top, winning a number of penalties. It was Stortford, though, that scored again next, when the opposition failed to field a steepling kick from David Hayes and the home side piled on the pressure, with Austin Pope finally dodging his way over the try line out wide. Cooke's conversion attempt went wide, as had a penalty shot a few minutes earlier. Stortford, unfortunately failed to gather the restart kick and Rotherham's forwards took charge, winning two penalties in quick succession. Stortford successfully defended the 5m lineout that came from the first, but could not hold out the powerful visiting pack at the second, who wheeled left and swept over the line. More pain was inflicted on the home side, though, when the referee instead of giving the clean touchdown, awarded a penalty try and yellow-carded Toby Hill with 6 minutes of the half left. Stortford fought back, despite the one man disadvantage and came very close to scoring their own try after Chris Bolton broke through the middle of a lineout close to half way. He stepped several defenders in running some 30 metres, but was drifting right all the way and no teammate was able to cut a direct line off his run, which was eventually stopped just short of the try line by good cover defence. Stortford, therefore, had to settle for a mere one point lead at the break, which scarcely reflected the balance of play.

Starting the second half with 14 men, Stortford were quickly behind, when a clever chip kick from close range by visiting scrumhalf, JP Bruzilier bounced kindly for his flyhalf, Richard Hayes to touch down close to the posts with only 2 minutes of the half gone. Hayes kicked the easy conversion himself and was again on target 12 minutes later, slotting a penalty to stretch his side's lead to 10 points. The weather was now decidedly worse, making it increasingly difficult for Stortford to run around the opposition forwards, as they would undoubtedly have liked to do and giving greater significance to Rotherham's continued scrummaging advantage. The home side, nevertheless had a couple of good penalty goal opportunities, but the first crashed out off an upright and the second, easier, chance was spurned in favour of a kick to touch, with the resultant lineout drive being nullified. As playing conditions steadily worsened, the prospects of Stortford closing the 10 point deficit looked slim, as the error-count inevitably rose. Pressure was, nevertheless exerted, and visiting captain, Zac Poole was yellow carded after 70 minutes, but the home side were unable to exploit the extra man and, indeed went down to 14 themselves, 5 minutes later. when Seb Brownhill was sin-binned for a high tackle. True to type, though, Stortford never gave up and put together much the best sequence of handling rugby in the second half to stretch the visitors' defence close to breaking point. Rotherham managed to hold out, but conceded two penalties in doing so, one of them right under their posts. With the clock going into the red, Cooke stepped up to kick the goal and snatch a losing bonus point, a fair reflection of a close game.

Special thanks today go to Matchday sponsors, Belcom, great, long-term supporters of the Club and to Forward Corporate Finance for sponsoring the Man of the Match - unfortunately, they failed to maintain their record of having given this award only when Stortford have won! Harrison Langworthy deservedly took the bubbles on this occasion for another non-stop, battling performance.