CINDERFORD 22 ROSSLYN PARK 12

CINDERFORD ended a tough-looking January in the best possible fashion with their fourth win in five National One matches.

With the prospect of facing four of the top six sides in the opening month of 2012, the Foresters have surpassed expectations with 14 points out of 20.

That run of form has seen them move 15 points clear of the drop zone into 12th position, with a well-deserved afternoon off to come next weekend.

Despite missing their top points scorer Rory Teague, the Dockham Road men made a great start to the match by going 12-0 up after 24 minutes.

After surviving an early onslaught, Park could not cope with Cinderford's rolling maul, allowing a penalty to be conceded which was kicked to touch on 17 minutes.

From the lineout inside the 22, the maul was engaged again and this time it could not be stopped as young Cinderford prop Tom Heard crashed down.

Full-back Danny Trigg, brought in for Teague with Mike Wilcox pushed to ten, could not convert but seven minutes later he split the posts from their second try.

After numerous pick and go's, Wilcox then found skipper Adam Nicholls, who cut a great line to go over near the posts to leave Trigg with the formality kick.

The visitors finally got a foothold in the game on 36 minutes when a mis-timed tackle allowed flanker Joe Trayfoot to offload to number eight Mark Lock and he touched down.

Fly-half Ross Laidlow brought the scores to within five points with the conversion, but there was still time for one more Cinderford score in the opening period.

They moved the ball down the line and Trigg rounded an over-eager tackler to put winger Nev Codlin in out wide.

Trigg slotted the kick to make it 19-7 at the break, but Cinderford were caught napping from the restart and Park moved the ball from one side of the pitch to the other.

That resulted in centre Dominic Shabbo scoring his side's second try on 41 minutes – Laidlow was off target with the conversion – to make it 19-12.

Cinderford responded well and laid siege to Park's line, with the visitors' scrum constantly collapsing and resulting in a yellow card for lock Stanley McKeen.

Trigg pushed Cinderford ten points clear with half an hour of the match still remaining, but no further points were added.

Cinderford: D Trigg; L Stapleton, R Winchle, D Scourfield, N Codlin; M Wilcox, D Pointon (Carter 72); T Heard, S Wilkes (Bozzard 62), J Smart (Bundy 60); B West, E King; W Foden, A Nicholls (Allen 68), G Evans. Replacements: C Bundy, T Bozzard, L Allen, L Carter, K Done.

Rosslyn Park: Edwards; Parsons, Shabbo, Gower, Rudd (Mantella 60); Laidlaw, Baxter (Barr 70); Ovens, Richmond (Gotting 56), Huggett (Ward 49); Lloyd Jones, McKeen; Trayfoot, Rowland, Lock (Campbell 60). Replacements: Gotting, Huggett, Campbell, Barr, Mantella.