The Counts wasted little time in going on the offensive from the kick-off and the pack, anchored by solid scrummaging from props James Ford and Dom Bell and dynamic ball-carrying soon had Cranleighans defending their own line. With just one minute on the clock, Walcountians took the lead through a penalty from fly-half Ross Lever.

Walcountians’ discipline in the rucks and mauls and in the contact area however left something to be desired and they handed the initiative to the home side on too many occasions. A penalty from Cranleighans’ fly-half Liam Holder levelled the score after seven minutes.

The Counts retook the lead in the 10th minute when pacy winger Omarie Brown beat the Cranleighans defenders to reclaim his own kick forward and race over the line to tough down under the posts, Ross Lever adding the conversion. However, their elation was to be short-lived as Cranleighans first narrowed the lead in the 26th minute with a penalty from the boot of Liam Holder and then went behind in the 33rd minute when centre Scott Rees set up a try for winger Toby Pattinson after the Counts failed to clear their lines. At this point, Walcountians were reduced to 14 players after flanker Scott Stevens was sin-binned.

Walcountians however showed they had grit in their makeup and two scores in stoppage time restored their lead. The first was a penalty from Ross Lever, the second was a try for lock Tom Brown who drove over from a ruck on the Cranleighans line as half-time approached.

The second half was quiet until the final quarter when five tries were scored. Walcountians extended their lead in the 20th minute when a text-book threequarter move saw Omarie Brown held up just short of the Cranleighans line, from which the ball was popped up to supporting full-back Hal Mogridge who touched down and converted his own try.

By the 35th minute, the match looked dead and buried when Omarie Brown scored his second try after replacement Olly Sanders palmed the ball back to him after getting first to Ross Lever’s cross-kick. This put the Counts 17 points clear.

Cranleighans were however far from finished and centre Ollie Salmon scored a try two minutes into stoppage time when he took a long pass to the wing which left Walcountians’ defence stranded.

There were two more tries before the referee blew for full-time. Walcountians scored the first in the 45th minute when backs Andy Togbolah and Brendan Murphy opened up gaps in the Cranleighans defence to set up lock Joe Lawrence to get the final touch. The second, 10 minutes into stoppage time, came when Cranleighans centre Scott Rees ripped through the Counts’ defence to touch down for a try ich Liam Holder converted.

This win has lifted Walcountians off the bottom of Counties League 2 Surrey and optimism about how the season might progress has grown. Walcountians take a week’s break from the League and return on 12 October when they take on Kingston at Clock House. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Old Walcountians:- Mogridge, Togbolah, Murphy, Henderson, Brown (O), Lever, Bacon, Ford, Tilleray, Bell, Lawrence, Brown (T), Stevens, Camakamma, Bellringer.

Subs:- Beeson, Blackmore, Sanders.