Royston 25

Pinner & Grammarians 17

Herts/Middlesex 2

ROYSTON got back to winning ways following three straight defeats with a victory over Pinner & Grammarians on a frosty Heath on Saturday.

The home side knew they would have to start well and they set about their opponents in a determined fashion, but an error allowed the visitors to score the opening try.

Royston regrouped and started to use wingers Schurch and Skuce to gain vital yards, and put pressure on the Pinner back three. After one successful foray in the left hand corner of the pitch, the ball was recycled and spun to flanker Ronan who used a bit of Irish cunning to dive under would-be tacklers to score a try that Schurch converted.

This lifted Royston’s spirits and they scored their second try following good work from Scott Easy, who broke blind to entice the opposing winger, before expertly playing in Sparkes to dot down in the corner.

The Crows really turned the screw for the final 10 minutes of the half and began to get control of the scrums. They set themselves 15 yards out and drove their opposite numbers back which allowed Jason Deards the opportunity to pick a hole in the defence and score a try which Church again converted.

However Pinner had the final say of the half when they scored a converted try of their own to make the score 19-12 at the interval.

The second half started with Royston playing into the elements, with the dropping sun making visibility difficult and the opportunity of bonus points led to some panic decisions being made with the ball in hand.

Veterans Jamie Green and Ashley Cooper used their heads to slow down the match and impart wisdom where they could, but with the natural elements closing in and the defences getting on top, neither side made much headway.

Royston added two penalties through Schurch to extend their lead and pushed hard for the bonus point, but unfortunately none was forthcoming. Pinner added a final unconverted try at the death to bring some respectability to the scoreline but Royston were worthy winners in the end. Dan Skuce was named Man of the Match.