Sutton & Epsom’s players, delayed on their way to the game by an accident on the M25, looked like they would rather have been somewhere else during Saturday’s National Division Three defeat at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday.

Handling let Sutton down at crucial stages throughout the match, while their hosts apprently revelled in the conditions, throwing the ball around with wild abandon but always managing to find a team-mate on the end of it.

Number eight Mark McCraith led his back row in killing any Sutton attack before it really got off the ground and in their full back Jimmy Rea they have a player of great speed and talent who running at great pace and some superb angles ripped through Sutton’s poorly organised defence at will.

For Sutton really only hooker Sean Kent, flanker Ian White and Captain Steve Munford showed any huge enthusiasm for the match. Sutton did spring to life several times during the game but rarely put more than two phases of play together.

All that said for the opening 20 minutes everything looked evenly poised with the two fly halves, Tom Coleman for Stortford and David Saunders, for Sutton having exchanged early penalties.

Then the Bishops Stortford pack destroyed Sutton at a scrum on Stortfords 10 metre line the ball squirted out loose and was fly hacked ahead by the Stortford flanker Richard Gill the home winger Harry Marner won the race and touched down in the left corner. Coleman converted.

Stortford scored again seconds later when they charged down an attempted clearance kick recycled the ball through 4 phases of play and flanker Maehe Austin scored an unconverted try in the corner.

Saunders kicked a second penalty for Sutton shortly after but it was not long before the home side scored again having won ruck ball on the Sutton left Coleman made a break created an overlap on Sutton’s right and allowed his centre Jake Guasella to slip through a gap to score next to the posts. Coleman converted.

Playing into the wind in the second half Sutton played better and came close to a try of their own when lock Richard Nicholls crossed the line only for the ball to be held up. Sutton lost the ensuing scrum and Rea ran the ball out of defence dummying and junking his way 40 metres down-field.

Stortford quickly recycled the ball and having sucked in the Sutton defence Rea came through the centre running a superb angle to score under the posts. Coleman converted.

Rea scored again in a near carbon copy of his last a few minutes later and Coleman converted. Sutton to give them their due stuck at it with Munford driving them on but despite leaking no further score they could not breach the home defence.

Sutton & Epsom host Bracknell in their next league game on Saturday, November 28 (3pm).