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GREENE KING EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY LEAGUE, DIVISION ONE: Haverhill 14 Ely 18. Match report.

In a week where Haverhill learnt that their cancelled trip to Kings Lynn had cost them a five point deduction, a four-point win was what was required at home. Unfortunately they only managed to gain one point by losing inside the seven point margin.

Missing the colossus Martin Ransome due to a ban for a red card the previous week, Haverhill's scrum were performing well in the set and loose play, but the line-out missed the jumping height at the front, often giving Ely uncontested line ball, although this improved as the game progressed.

Haverhill started well, but on six minutes were guilty of holding on to the ball in the breakdown and Ely took the three points on offer.

From the restart, Adrian Cooper showed good attacking skill, harassing the Ely line and winning a penalty.

A quick Paul Bergin penalty gained hard yards to set Jake Plumridge up for an excellent grub kick to the corner, but just too strong for Kieran Ewens on the wing to make anything from it.

Haverhill came back at Ely and another drive from Bergin, with Ben Jackson and Sam Powell driving through the Ely defence, saw good penetration into the Ely backs. Quick phase call saw a huge Haverhill overlap, but this was not used and the move broke down just short of the Ely line.

Constant pressure from Haverhill's centre Gavin Hope and Brad Gibson saw Ely's line regularly dropping the ball and on 30 minutes, after a knock-on, Ely went through the Haverhill line to score under the posts to make it 10-0.

Some great tackling from Mike Woods and Joe Brown kept Ely on the back foot, where they infringed and allowed Haverhill a try at the posts on 35 minutes. The Plumridge kick was just wide.

After the break, Haverhill's number eight Bergin broke 30 metres to put pressure on the Ely defence, but a penalty resulted in a kick up field, which was returned by Plumridge.

Ely cleared to half way, where Woods met the ball at full chat, powering through the Ely defence and under the posts for a Plumridge-converted try.

From the kick-off, Haverhill were guilty of not releasing and the Ely fly half took the points on offer to increase the difference to six points.

The Ely number six broke out from the restart, and a great tackle from Ewens stopped the move dead, but Ewens picked up a boot in the face which led to his replacement by Brodie Patrick two minutes later.

On 55 minutes Haverhill attacked the Ely 22-metre line and a blatant knock-on by the Ely defence, which should have led to a Haverhill scrum 15 metres from the Ely line, was missed and, within the minute, Ely were again over the Haverhill line, although the try was not converted, making the score 18-7.

Haverhill replaced Carl Smith and Ben Jackson with Ben Jones and Adam Curtis and continued to attack. Patrick on the wing put huge pressure on the Ely defence, making 60 metres and only getting stopped five metres from home.

With six minutes remaining there followed a play that left the crowd further bemused. Ely were responsible for professionally spoiling the game with Haverhill five metres out with blatant infringements.

On the third of these, the referee rightly went to the posts and awarded Haverhill a penalty try that was converted by Plumridge.

However, this should have resulted in a yellow card for an Ely player and Haverhill playing against 14 men for the last five minutes, but that never followed.

Ely came back at Haverhill, but were met by Woods who stopped the move in its tracks. In the dying seconds Haverhill came close to the Ely line, but did not cross. Would a man less have made the difference?

Haverhill secured the point, but it could and should have been so much better.