National 3 South West

CHINNOR battled to a 21-10 victory on their first visit to Bristol’s Old Redcliffians to stay second in the table.

The visitors, who gave debuts to flanker Alex Waddingham and wing Tom Gray, took the lead with a penalty from fly half James Cathcart, but were soon under real pressure on a sloping pitch.

Redcliffians went close following a 15-phase attack and were denied what looked a certain try when Chinnor’s Sam Stoop and Mark Chase held up their winger over the try line.

Home kicker Joe Hall missed five shots at goal, while Cathcart landed a second penalty on 33 minutes.

Three minutes before half-time, Chinnor hooker Simon Tattersall won a turnover. The ball found No 8 Liam Gilbert, whose swerving run and dummy set up centre Henry Colver to sprint under the posts, Cathcart converting.

Chinnor began the second half defending, but a third Cathcart penalty put them 16-0 up on 57 minutes.

A flurry of yellow cards saw Chinnor wing Pip Seymour and replacement Ed Devine, plus Redcliffians’ Ollie James in the sin-bin – the last two after a mass brawl.

The hosts made use of their superior numbers to run in a try from Craig Owen, converted by Hall, who also added a penalty.

But Chinnor sealed the match on 73 minutes, when Stoop gathered Cathcart’s up-and-under and fed the backs, with Gray scorching over.

Oxford Harlequins dropped into the bottom three after a 43-15 home defeat to Chippenham.

To compound a bad day, they had scrum half Alastair Maspero red-carded for stamping in the second half.

Chippenham started strongly and led 14-0 after just seven minutes, thanks to tries from Jason Forster and Chris Simmons, both converted by Richard Taylor.

Frazer Clilverd ran in the visitors’ third try on 19 minutes, with Quins registering their first points via fly half Alex Stevenson’s penalty.

Bobby Lyons’s try put Chippenham 24-3 up at half-time.

Lewis Surrey bagged the visitors’ fifth try on 44 minutes, Taylor converting for 31-3.

Maspero’s dismissal was quickly followed by a Chippenham try from Chris Fletcher.

Quins centre Martin Nutt finally got them on the try trail after 62 minutes, with Stevenson converting.

Fletcher’s second try, converted by Taylor, completed Chippenham’s tally.

Quins had the final say when full back Harry Warman went over on 74 minutes.