Chinnor 29, London Scottish 59

Chinnor are still clinging on to their National 3 South status after becoming the first team to score five tries against champions London Scottish.

The resulting bonus point and Chinnor’s spirit in the second half sent the large home support away happy despite an emphatic defeat.

With Lydney not collecting anything from their loss at Worthing, Chinnor won’t be relegated for another week at least.

Scottish, who featured Chinnor old boy Paul Volley at flanker, were a class act, and showed just why they have dominated this division.

With former Worcester fly half James Brown pulling the strings, they looked able to score at will.

Scottish deservedly led after 12 minutes when Brown’s kick bounced kindly for hooker Ben Gotting to race in for their 1000th point of the season.

Brown converted this and a try from centre Rory Damant soon afterwards, with Chinnor centre Darren Oxley sin-binned in between.

Scottish flanker Alex Karonias was recalled for a forward pass, but another Brown kick left the defence flat-footed and created a second try for Damant on 23 minutes.

Scottish secured a bonus point before the half hour when wing Gareth Swales was put through in acres of space.

Brown made it four conversions from four and slotted his fifth after No 8 William Lipp powered over from a scrum.

Chinnor could have buckled, but they finished the half strongly with wing James Serrano smashing his way across on the right following a good pass from James Cathcart.

Fly half Cathcart almost created a second try with a clever grubber kick, but scrum half Toby Prescott couldn’t gather.

The hosts started the second half with real spirit as centre Trevor Powell and replacement wing Tom Shiel led the charge.

But they were dealt a cruel blow when wing Charlie Broughton intercepted Peter Wright’s pass and ran in a try from close to his own line, Brown converting.

A cricket score looked likely as replacement flanker Grant Livingstone scored twice in three minutes, with Brown converting the latter, but Chinnor suddenly clicked into gear.

Firstly, Powell reacted first to a loose ball and sprinted in for Cathcart, now at full back, to convert.

Wing Richard Williams went close, but Ben Hewitt, who had moved to fly half, was next on the scoresheet after 64 minutes as he cut inside to finish a fine move.

Chinnor had 20 minutes to score a fourth try, and were unlucky when flanker Adam Hastings could not gather Powell’s off-load.

They managed a bonus point in style on 69 minutes when Shiel finished a fluid backs move.

Scottish replacement prop Lorne Ward notched from a well-worked line-out combination on 73 minutes.

But there was still time for Hewitt to dive over on the right wing after Serrano had been thwarted, and Cathcart converted.

Chinnor: Hewitt, Serrano, Powell, Oxley (Shiel 34), R Williams, Cathcart, Prescott, Winpenny (Stock 60), Cawston, Whelan (Matthews 75), Hutchings (capt), Payne, Hastings (Jackman 68), Neilson (M Williams 80), Wright.

Referee: M Liddell (Birmingham).

Chinnor man-of-the-match: Hewitt.