Grasshoppers 16 Finchley 22

For the second time in a row, Grasshoppers welcomed top-of-the-table Finchley to MacFarlane Lane, knowing that a win would put them on top of London Four North West.

For the first 10 minutes, Gs, who were kicking up the slope, hardly touched the ball and allowed Finchley to creep into the lead with two well-taken penalties.

Gs, though, finally got their show on the road and clawed their way back and took the lead with a try from full-back Jeremy Easton, converted by Gerwyn Hughes.

A Hughes penalty then put Gs ahead 10-6.

Finchley, though, had the last word of the half, with another penalty to make the half-time score 10-9.

The second half underlined what a close encounter this was, with Gs making good use of the slope but it was Finchley who were first to score with a penalty to retake the lead 10-12.

Back came Gs, with two Hughes penalties to edge in front 16-12.

Gs looked to stretch further ahead but the Finchley defence held and Gs started to give the ball away too easily.

This took the pressure off the league leaders and allowed them two counterattacks which both resulted in unconverted tries, making the score 22-16.

In the last 10 minutes, Gs threw everything at Finchley and felt they could have been awarded a penalty try with three penalties for cynical infringements yards from the Finchley line, two of which resulted in yellow cards.

But this was not to be and, with some dogged resolution, Finchley defended their lines until the final whistle tp open up a threepoint lead at the top and end a Gs winning streak in the league that dated back to November 10.

Player of the day was Thomas Orishaguna.

Gs' next two league games are away to Barnet on March 1 and then at home to Old Ashmoleans on March 8.