Welwyn 15 Ruislip 30

Welwyn's title hopes took a major dent when they slumped to a 30-15 defeat against Ruislip at Hobbs Way. Tries from Peter Elliott and James Coughlan weren't enough to give the second-placed hosts victory against the league leaders and the London Three North West crown looks to be heading to Middlesex.

Peter Engledow's men were behind within the first five minutes on Saturday. The fast Ruislip backs cut through the centre of the Welwyn defence to score an unconverted try on the right. Play then moved from end to end with a series of penalty kicks to each side until the ball came back to Gareth Hughes at outside half after a drive by skipper Dave Orton. Hughes' clever kick through was gathered on the left by winger Elliott, who levelled the score with an excellent try out on the left. The attempted conversion narrowly failed.

Ruislip had a much heavier pack than the home side and were able to push and turn the Welwyn scrums. Despite Welwyn's limited possession, some good tactical kicking by James Turnbull and Henry Child kept the play in the Ruislip half. After 25 minutes the visitors strayed offside at a ruck and Hughes slotted over the penalty to give the home side an 8-5 advantage. However, on the half hour Ruislip gained the ball from a lineout on the home 10 metre line and drove to the left where Welwyn were penalised, allowing the Middlesex side to level the score at 8-8.

The weight advantage of the Ruislip forwards was now starting to tell and their well-drilled pack kept driving the ball upfield from lineouts and mauls. Welwyn were consistently penalised for their attempts to hold the rampant visiting pack. Engledow's side were eventually made to pay when they conceded a penalty for going over the top at a breakdown and the visitors notched another three points. The league leaders then turned the screw with a score before the break, to race into a 16-8 interval lead.

The second half followed a similar pattern with the Welwyn forwards struggling to hold their heavier counterparts. Ruislip continued to drive the ball forward at every opportunity and push back the home pack. The pressure told when the away side were awarded a penalty, taking play up to the Welwyn five metre line. From the lineout the table-toppers then set up a rolling maul that was driven over the line. The kick was converted to make the score 23-8 to the visitors.

This was soon reduced when Child made an excellent break through the centre of the Ruislip defence. The full-back's long pass to the right was collected by winger Coughlan, who stormed over the line. Hughes added the extras to bring the score to 15-23. However, there was no respite from the pressure exerted by the Ruislip forwards. It is a credit to the home side's scrummaging that they never lost a put in and managed to steal one ball against the head.

Penalties to Ruislip kept play up in the Welwyn half, but their defence held out until past the hour mark, when the league leaders were awarded a penalty close to the line. Ruislip took a quick tap and muscled over the line near the posts. The simple conversion was easily kicked and the Middlesex side established an unassailable 30-15 lead. Despite this, Welwyn's determination never dropped and Ruislip were unable to increase their advantage. They nevertheless ran out as deserved winners to record their second success of the season against Welwyn, having earlier triumphed on home soil before Christmas.

On Saturday Welwyn travel south of the river to take on the Bank Of England in Roehampton. They will be hoping to bounce back from Saturday's defeat and return to winning ways immediately.