The Counts were once again forced to improvise with their lineup, with Olly Sanders and Tom Housden, normally forwards, playing at wing threequarter, and matters were not improved when their most effective forward, Tom Brown, had to leave the field in the opening minute with the recurrence of an ankle injury. The visitors made most of the early running and opened the lead with a penalty try in the 11th minute. Solid tackling by Walcountians kept Whitgiftians at bay until the 28th minute when centre Jordan Lewis kicked a penalty, and a try from a forward drive increased their lead in the 35th minute.

The closing minutes of the first half saw Walcountians rally and the 40th minute saw skipper Callum Tilleray cross for the first of three tries after taking an offload following a lineout win. Two minutes later, the Counts other prop, Dom Bell, had a try disallowed for a little-known rule after the referee accidentally obstructed the Whitgiftians defence but, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Callum Tilleray got his second try after a quick return of the ball by Joe Henderson from a lineout caught out the Whitgiftians defence.

When Callum Tilleray scored his third try of the day in the ninth minute of the second half after taking an offload from Joe Henderson, victory for the Counts looked on the cards. Instead, it sparked the visitors into life, and they started to find gaps in the heavily-stretched Walcountians defence. A brace of tries from flanker Elliott Mack and one from winger Joe Davis effectively put the match out of Walcountians’ reach by the 31st minute.

There was still plenty of spirit in Walcountians and tries by Dom Bell and Scott Stevens earned them a much-needed bonus point. But Whitgiftians put the seal on their victory with two more tries from full-back Nick Byrne and centre Jordan Lewis.

The final scoreline was galling for Walcountians as they ran in five tries and were not far short of the visitors’ tally of seven. But the difference was made in the success rate of conversions where the Counts failed with each of the five kicks whereas Whitgiftians were successful with all seven.

Walcountians remain in tenth place in Counties League 2 Surrey and face a tough fixture next week against promotion contenders Old Wimbledonians at Coombe Lane, Raynes Park. Kick-off is at 2pm.

Old Walcountians:- Stevens (P), Sanders, Barnaby, Togbolah, Housden, Mogridge, Bacon, Tilleray, Stevens (S), Bell, Thomas, Brown, Camakamma, Rees, Bird.

Subs:- Beeson, Henderson.