Borehamwood 28 Hackney 22

HACKNEY slipped to fourth in the Herts-Middlesex Div 3 as they lost their first game in several weeks after three successive wins.

It was a narrow loss at Borehamwood in what was literally a game of two halves.

Hackney, buoyed by recent successes, got off to a good start, but failed to turn the possession into points.

Borehamwood kicked three early penalties to establish an advantage before the Griffins got themselves on the scoresheet, when some fine work up the centre of the pitch allowed the backs to spread the ball to the left wing and George Llewellyn-Williams went in at the corner.

Moments later an almost indentical move allowed Jeff Moore to cross in the same corner, but James Hardwick couldn't add the goal points from either conversion.

Hackney led 15-9 at the break and seemed in control, but their South Herts hosts lifted their game and scored their first try after exploiting poor Griffins defence on the blind side.

It became a very edgy affair and some poor decision making prevented Hackney making headway.

The home fly-half made good use of the conditions and his tactics paid off when a long kick bounced favourably for the Borehamwood to pick up and take the lead.

With two minutes left, Borehamwood scored again to put the game beyond Hackney, even though John Young crashed over very late in the game and Hardwick landed the conversion.

Said Griffin's skipper Matt Clemens-Lary: "I'm very disappointed to have ended our runs of wins in this way.

"We had chances to have killed off the game, but didn't take them.''

HACKNEY: Brace, Bates, Clemens-Lary, Cartwright, Young, Whitlock, Hart, Tully, Fanning, Moore, Llewellyn-Williams, Hardwick, Wilson, Armstrong, Grieves.