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EAST LONDON 52 - STOWMARKET 17
Gary Bird10 Apr 2017 - 18:14
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Crushing win to end season in third place
East London completed their 2016/17 season with a 52-17 victory over Stowmarket to finish third in the London 3 North East division.
It was the fourteenth win of the season from 20 games and marked a successful campaign for the side promoted from Essex 1 division last year.
On Saturday at the Memorial Ground the home side struck early through full back Ryan Billinghurst, scoring for the third game in a row. He went over in the right corner on eight minutes. The conversion was missed.
Individual try of the day came from right wing Corey Griffiths on 13 minutes. He collected a high clearance from Stowmarket deep inside his own half before heading back towards the half-way line. He sidestepped one opponent before kicking over the advancing backs deep into the corner. He beat two players in a race for the bouncing ball and touched down. Fly-half Alan Ferguson converted from the right touchline.
Stowmarket reduced the deficit with an unconverted try on 16 minutes before East London stretched away again nine minutes later. Replacement prop Adrian Samuel on for the injured Gary Pearmain crashed through four players to score from five metres out. Ferguson converted.
Scrum-half Alex Mylchreest scored on 28 minutes with a break through the centre. Ferguson converted. Number eight Dan Bracken scored on the half-hour, handing off two opponents in the process. Ferguson converted for a 33-5 lead at the break.
The lead was extended two minutes into the second-half. A mazy run by outside centre Andrew Little, the season’s leading try scorer, reap rewards. Ferguson converted.
The quick feet of Griffiths again bamboozled Stowmarket defenders on 48 minutes and he set up flanker Ed Brown for a try which Ferguson converted.
East London took their foot off the gas and let the visitors in for two tries, one of which was converted. But the final score of the season was reserved for the home side when Griffiths scored his second try that his all-round performance deserved. The conversion was missed.
Skipper Bracken: “We’ve done so much better this year than we were expecting. We’ve had some great wins and put on some great performances. It shows that we don’t need to fear this division and we’re already making plans for next season when winning the league has to be our aim.”
East London 1st XV vs Stowmarket: 1. Gary Pearmain; 2. Ben Hogan; 3. Sam Corbett; 4. Matt Lucas; 5. Oliver Hillyer-Riley; 6. Rob Yiannakou; 7. Ed Brown; 8. Dan Bracken; 9. Alex Mylchreest; 10. Alan Ferguson; 11. Mo Akbar; 12. Jono George; 13. Andrew Little; 14. Corey Griffiths; 15. Ryan Billinghurst. Replacements: 16. Adrian Samuel. 17. Sean Ellison; 18. Joe Kelly.
It was the fourteenth win of the season from 20 games and marked a successful campaign for the side promoted from Essex 1 division last year.
On Saturday at the Memorial Ground the home side struck early through full back Ryan Billinghurst, scoring for the third game in a row. He went over in the right corner on eight minutes. The conversion was missed.
Individual try of the day came from right wing Corey Griffiths on 13 minutes. He collected a high clearance from Stowmarket deep inside his own half before heading back towards the half-way line. He sidestepped one opponent before kicking over the advancing backs deep into the corner. He beat two players in a race for the bouncing ball and touched down. Fly-half Alan Ferguson converted from the right touchline.
Stowmarket reduced the deficit with an unconverted try on 16 minutes before East London stretched away again nine minutes later. Replacement prop Adrian Samuel on for the injured Gary Pearmain crashed through four players to score from five metres out. Ferguson converted.
Scrum-half Alex Mylchreest scored on 28 minutes with a break through the centre. Ferguson converted. Number eight Dan Bracken scored on the half-hour, handing off two opponents in the process. Ferguson converted for a 33-5 lead at the break.
The lead was extended two minutes into the second-half. A mazy run by outside centre Andrew Little, the season’s leading try scorer, reap rewards. Ferguson converted.
The quick feet of Griffiths again bamboozled Stowmarket defenders on 48 minutes and he set up flanker Ed Brown for a try which Ferguson converted.
East London took their foot off the gas and let the visitors in for two tries, one of which was converted. But the final score of the season was reserved for the home side when Griffiths scored his second try that his all-round performance deserved. The conversion was missed.
Skipper Bracken: “We’ve done so much better this year than we were expecting. We’ve had some great wins and put on some great performances. It shows that we don’t need to fear this division and we’re already making plans for next season when winning the league has to be our aim.”
East London 1st XV vs Stowmarket: 1. Gary Pearmain; 2. Ben Hogan; 3. Sam Corbett; 4. Matt Lucas; 5. Oliver Hillyer-Riley; 6. Rob Yiannakou; 7. Ed Brown; 8. Dan Bracken; 9. Alex Mylchreest; 10. Alan Ferguson; 11. Mo Akbar; 12. Jono George; 13. Andrew Little; 14. Corey Griffiths; 15. Ryan Billinghurst. Replacements: 16. Adrian Samuel. 17. Sean Ellison; 18. Joe Kelly.
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