Harrogate kicked off and retained the ball well for the first five minutes as they kept it alive with slick handling from forwards Boyde, Yorke, Harvey and Wood and backs Matthews, Irvine, Dench and Bottomley.

Excellent field kicking from fly half Irvine combined with their determination and pressure produced a penalty in front of the posts for full back Rowntree to score the first of three after five minutes.

The home side maintained constant pressure for most of the half but the next score was 30 minutes later when Ampthill were penalized for holding on and Rowntree calmly kicked his second penalty.

In the first minute of extra time at the end of the half immense pressure from the Ampthill pack led to their first score from a penalty from fly half Tarrant which was soon followed by Harrogate’s third for Rowntree.

In the first minute of the second half the visitors played to their strength with grinding forward play from their own 22 to the Harrogate 22.

On 45 minutes the Harrogate scrum was adjudged to have taken down the scrum and Tarrant slotted Ampthill’s second penalty.

Ampthill’s game plan now was to use their forwards to grind out the scores and their first try came after 51 minutes from a driving maul following a lineout and flanker Bercis was credited with the touchdown for Tarrant to convert.

Harrogate’s tackling from Edwards, Dench, Bottomley and Boyde was heroic but the onslaught continued leading another penalty for holding on and Tarrant added another 3 points.

Harrogate were still in the game and every piece of possession was used for some slick handling from Irvine, Bottomley and Edwards with Captain Brady showing exceptional speed in the second row.

The turning point came when Harrogate’s hooker Yorke was yellow carded with 10 minutes remaining.

Tarrant kicked his 4th penalty.

Harrogate were now outnumbered and Ampthill took advantage with a pushover try credited to centre Goodge which was converted by Tarrant.

Harrogate never gave up and continued to attack with every member of the team aiming to cross the line.

Harrogate: 15.Joe Rowntree, 14.Sam Bottomley, 13.Lewis Minikin, 12.Kyle Dench, 11.Luke Edwards, 10.Callum Irvine, 9.Danny Matthews, 1.Andrew Boyde, 2.Aarin Yorke, 3.Ben Reaveley, 4.Jake Brady, 5.Tom Harvey, 6.Jonny Coser, 7.Kerry Wood, 8.Willem Enslin, 16.Nino Cutino, 17.Fraser Kirkley, 18.Noel Minikin, 19.Joe Watson, 20.James Morland

Ampthill & District: 1.Sproston, Joe, 2. Ma-asi, Villi, 3. Collins, Matt, 4. Hehea, Piano, 5. Braband, Karl, 6. Burke, Matt, 7. Bercis, Joe, 8. Molitika, Maama, 9. Barratt, Kevin, 10. Tarrant, Joe, 11. Anker, Lee, 12. Goodge, Will, 13. Burke, Brendan, 14. Dyer, Daryl, 15. Lynch, Karim. 16. Wright, James, 17. Bloisis, Alex, 18. Bray, Lee, 19, Aviss, Tom, 20. Livsey, Stuart.

Referee: Ben Blain

Match Report by Brian Forshaw