Cullen can’t kick DMP to victory over Stortford

A hard-fought contest from start to finish the result was in the balance until the final kick of the game – in the end finishing as a stalemate.

Bishop’s Stortford enjoyed slightly the better of the early exchanges but the visitors scored first with an excellent try after 12 minutes, from a light- ning-quick attack after Stortford were penalised at a midfield breakdown.

The home team ground their way back into the game and some ten minutes later forced an opening, with Matt Riddington cutting a great line to touch down under the posts for George Cullen to convert.

A big turning point came on 37 minutes, when StortIN ford had the well-drilled Darlington defence stretched, for once, but a short pass in midfield was read perfectly by Ben Frankland, who intercepted and ran 60 yards for a converted try.

There was just time for the visitors to launch another attack and Grant Connan clinically rounded it off, beating his opposite number for pace to stretch his side’s lead at half-time to ten points.

Darlington came out fast in the second half and deservedly scored their bonus point try nine minutes in, with their strong backs exploiting some uncharacteristically weak Stortford tackling.

Playing purposeful rugby, the visitors looked as if they might run away with things but Stortford

showed their usual grit and determination to battle their way into the game, going through phase after phase of hard, driving rugby to dominate the final half hour.

This brought a try for Steve Ball on 57 minutes and with Cullen kicking both the conversion and a long penalty nine minutes later, the gap was suddenly down to just five points.

Stortford continued to hammer away and scored a try after spinning the ball wide quickly from a scrum for Nick Hankin to exploit a two on one.

With the scores level, a tricky conversion to end the game from Cullen flew wide to end the game with honours even to leave DMP second in the league table and Stortford down in sixth-place.