Trailfinders point the way with a 9-try battering

EALING Trailfinders produced their best performance of the season to inflict a heavy defeat on Coventry.

Ben Ward’s men scored nine tries in total as they registered their seventh consecutive victory to stay top of the Championship table.

Ward was a happy man after the match. “We are very pleased and it’s probably the first time this season there has been a real buzz about our display,” he said.

“We didn’t let them back in to the match in the second half which has been our problem, so overall we are delighted.”

Ealing raced out of the blocks and scored after just 90 seconds with Pat Howard diving over. The returning Kieran Murphy carried through the defence and offloaded to the centre who ran clear from outside the 22.

Alun Walker then drove over from a rolling maul before Howard scored his second from long range after intercepting and running the length of the pitch. That extended the lead to 19-3 with just 15 minutes on the clock but Coventry responded.

With a counter attack they had the ball deep in the 22, and they spun the ball wide to Anthony Fenner who had the pace to go over in the corner.

That seemed to have settled the visitors but the Trailfinders hit back to secure the bonus point on the half hour mark. Peter Lydon took an awkward high ball and drew in the final defender before unleashing a looping pass to Segundo Tuculet who had a clear run to the line.

That was then followed by a remarkable try from Rayn Smid who marked his 50th appearance with a superb score straight from the restart. Murphy and Cordy Redden combined with a pair of neat offloads and then Smid was on hand to race away.

Cordy Redden scored their sixth try of the half to all but secure the win as a disguised lineout allowed an inside ball to find the winger in space.

Coventry scored just before half time to get back in to the match as Max Trimble stepped his way to the line.

Peter Lydon got the first try of the second half and although Trimble hit back for Coventry, Jordy Reid, Heath Stevens and Ollie Stedman rounded off the scoring.

Coventry DoR Rowland Winter said: “The second half was a much improved performance, but we need to reproduce that over 80 minutes.”