CHINNOR Wildboys continued their impressive start to the season with a hard-fought victory at Wallingford.

Tries from Ben McIntosh, Liam Gilbert and Ben Smith helped our 3rd XV to a seventh successive win in Counties 1 Southern North.

We travelled to third-placed Wallingford expecting a tough fixture and it proved to be the case.

The opening quarter was a tight affair, but we took the lead on 20 minutes. Attacking off a midfield scrum, Dan Coulon fed full-back McIntosh to score and centre Sam Hick added the extras.

Five minutes later and Wallingford responded. Hooker Adam Boddy was yellow carded for sacking a driving maul and the hosts scored an unconverted try off the resulting penalty.

The home side started to apply more pressure, but our defence held firm and we took a narrow 7-5 lead into the break.

A Wallingford penalty put the hosts 8-7 in front after 54 minutes, however we responded well.

On the hour mark, a catch and drive led to second row Gilbert dropping over the whitewash. Hick slotted the extras to make it 14-8 to our Wildboys.

This match could have gone either way, but we made sure of the victory with four minutes to go. Wallingford went in search of a score, however Smith’s interception try killed the game off, with Hick converting.

As a result, our Wildboys remain top of the league on points difference, with Marlow second having also picked up 34 points from their opening seven matches.

Next up is another away fixture, with third-placed Gosford All Blacks the opponents.

Wildboys: McIntosh, Chapman, Hick, Nichols, Graham, Smith, Coulon, Ludgate, Boddy, Crockford, Jones, Gilbert, Alexander, Hackshaw, Hope.
Reps: Latham, Prosser, Nicholls.