After two horrendous defeats Chingford hosted local rivals Woodford at Waltham Way last Saturday. With Chingford now sitting fifth in the table and Woodford 3 points behind in sixth, it was a chance for the visitors to gain ground on Chingford in the league table. Chingford gave debuts to Robert Gash at scrum half and Conor Canny at blindside, with Ikena Okawuna playing his first game of season at hooker, all 3 had impressive games. Woodford started the brighter of the two teams, having a great try scoring opportunity, but the home sides spirited defence held firm and the chance was gone. The referee who was playing advantage gave a simple penalty and Woodford led 3-0. Chingford who started with only 14 men due to a late arrival, finally went to the full compliment when Chris Garstin took the field. The home side now started to exert some pressure, and broke on numerous occasions into Woodford’s 22, but then got isolated and failed to capitalise giving away needless penalties. Chingford then had a moment of brilliance when Luke Campbell stepped his way past most of the Woodford team, starting his run deep in his own half, and finishing scoring a try directly under the posts. Gash added the extras and the score read 7 –3, and that’s how it remained at half-time. The second half was a muddier affair of the first, with Chingford looking dangerous in the backs, and Woodford dominating in the scrum. It was from a rare venture into Chingford’s 22 that Lloyd added another penalty to cut the deficit to 1 point, choosing to kick rather than go for the try. With Woodford’s hooker having a bad day at the lineout, and Chingford’s solid defence that was probably the best option, and it kept the visitors in the game. Chingford put together some good phases of play with Canny and Hoad linking well in the back row, and Gash and Bolton-Smith looking comfortable inter-changing in the half-back positions. After a break by full-back Pask, Woodford were penalised, but Chingford choose to play on, Bolton-Smith fired the ball out to Gash, and he added to his earlier 2 points, with a well taken drop-goal. Time was ticking away but Woodford once again got awarded a penalty, that they choose to kick, and the score read 10 – 9, with 5 minutes left on the clock. The recent experience of loosing tight games in the final seconds by Chingford has obviously taught them something, as they played out the final minutes deep in Woodford territory, not allowing the visitors a chance of victory. “It was a game we could not afford to lose, it wasn’t that pretty, but I feel we played the positive rugby and were the only team out there who looked as if they wanted to score tries. Even though it was a single point victory it is nice to win again after our recent run of defeats”, said Chingford’s Captain Ben Jeynes.