This National League Two match was very much a no win situation for Esher for the players.

They were expected to win against a lowly Harrogate side and win well - they managed both.

A 67-0, 10-try mauling began after only two minutes when Emmanuel Amapakabo in at lock for the injured Mark Butterworth used his giant frame to force his way over the line from 10 meters.

Neil Hallett, the Esher kicker, hit his conversion clean to give the home side a seven-point lead.

Esher looked the bigger and stronger against this young looking side from Yorkshire who were in a slump and sitting second bottom of National Two.

On 10 minutes Esher stretched their lead through Matt Moore, scoring his 10th try of the season, Hallett again converting.

After 11 minutes Harrogate were forced to make a substitution and their second row Maslanyk left the field with concussion.

It was to get worse for the visitors as six minutes later they lost centre Hart again with concussion.

In between the two substitutions Hallett converted a penalty.

On 19 minutes Mike Marsh in at scrum half used his pace to use the blindside from a scrum and from 30m out ran in a try.

Twenty-four minutes gone and Esher scored again, this one through winger Richard Briggs, Hallett converting.

From the restart Harrogate were reduced to 14 men as they had winger Bresslin send to the sin bin for taking out the Esher second row Paul Barker.

Barker landed awkwardly and later left the field (25 minutes) with a shoulder injury that is touch and go on how serious it may be, Lee Starling replaced him.

Two further tries before half time one by Hallett, converted by him, and anther try by Ladislav Vondrasek rubbed salt in the wounds of Harrogate. Esher held a 41-0 lead at the change round.

Having scored five tries in the first half they sought to at least match that in the second half, and it was not long before Matt Moore got his second of the game and 11th of the season. The game was then interrupted for nearly 15 minutes as Harrogate suffered yet another injury.

This time to Tony Sylph, who was himself the replacement for the early departure of Maslanyk. Sylph lay motionless of the floor as medical aid rushed to him.

He was eventually taken away on a stretcher. The up to date good news is that it is not a serious neck injury, but another concussion.

With the game now very much disrupted, Esher looked the more affected side and although they ran in four further tries, by Alex Mockford, Vondrasek for his second, and Bevon Armitage, three of the four converted by Hallett, they could have scored a hatful of tries had a final pass or two not gone astray.

In the end Esher won as you would expect a top of the table side to do.

They performed well in a very disjointed game. Esher had made a few changes to the starting line-up, this proved that the squad have strength in depth.

The inaugural winner of the L'auberge man of the match was Mike Blakeburn Our appreciation goes to l'auberge at The Hare and Hounds, The Green, Claygate.

The next challenge to await them is the away game at Blackheath at the Rectory Field next Saturday (3pm).

Esher: 15 N Hallett - 14 M Moore - 13 B Armitage - 12 T Clouston - 11 R Biggs - 10 M Leek - 9 M Marsh 1 D Cormack - 2 S Elkinson - 3 J Smith - 4 E Amapakabo - 5 P Barker - 6 M Blakeburn - 7 L Vondrasek - 8 A Mockford Replacements: 41 A Alexander for D Cormack: 73 T Doran for S Elkinson: 25 L Starling for p Barker: 65 G Barr for M Moore: Esher Scorers: Tries: E Amapakabo: M Moore 2: M Marsh: R Briggs: N Hallett: L Vondrasek 2: A Mockford: B Armitage: Cons N Hallett 7: Pens N Hallett 1