Ely 17 Stags 26
Try scorers Kacy Nicholson, Mikey Lane, Charlie Lee, Zayd Makorie Conversions Will Moore, with a 75% success rate in tricky conditions.
Stags mounted a convincing and sustained attack in the first half, albeit with the backing of a strong wind that hampered Ely passing and kicks. Kacy Nicholson opened the scoring with a strong run from Ely’s 22yard line to put down under the posts. This was followed by Mikey Lane on the wing, taking a short pass for a neat finish in the corner. Will Moore’s impressive kick found target again. Charlie Lee, next over the line, ran from almost halfway to under the posts. Stags first slip up came with a couple of missed tackles giving Ely their chance to open. However Zayd struck back soon after to give Stags a healthy lead at half time.
The second half, with a now stregthening wind in their faces, saw Stags turn to struggle, with at least two good chances failing close to Ely’s line. Solid play to the end by a tiring Stags pack limited Ely’s chances, but still allowed them a second score with enough time on the clock to make a comeback still feasable. Consistently good tackling and defensive play kept Ely at bay until the dying seconds when a corner touchdown was given the benefit of the doubt. Ely’s failure to add any points in the second half with conversions helped to flatter Stag’s winning margin. Despite this, an all round solid performance was a good opening to 2012.