Ellingham & Ringwood 1st XV welcomed promotion chasing Eastleigh who they beat three times last season to the Raymond Brown Memorial Ground to try and establish a win to further their dreams of ascending into the league above. The home team shattered those dreams well and truly with a resounding 48 - 16 victory to put a severe dent into their promotion ambitions. This is how the match played out.

Attacking the Specsavers end of the ground in front of a large crowd, the home team took the lead after just two minutes when fly half Tom Veneroso slotted over a penalty to give Ellingham an early lead. Eastleigh fought back and were level after five minutes when the centre Phil Baldwin kicked a penalty to even things up. Then Ellingham stepped up the pressure and scored a SPECTACULAR try finished off by prop Tom Sampson under the posts to the delight of the home crowd, this involved Ellingham moving up the pitch in several well worked phases moving back and forth across the pitch linking the dynamic backs with the power of the forwards that provided Tom with the space to crash over the line. Tom Veneroso slotted over the conversion to extend the lead.

Ill discipline from the home team allowed Phil Baldwin to peg the score back when he slotted over another penalty for the visitors in the 16th minute. Then in the 23rd minute Hugo 'The Bosh' Leigh-Watts powered his way through on the left flank to score in the corner to increase Ellingham's lead, although Tom Veneroso could not make the difficult kick for the additional two points. Then in the 29th minute man of the match #8 George Randall (pictured) scored the first of his brace of tries to extend the home teams lead. Eastleigh fought back when their fly haly Aaron Barnes ran through the home sides defence in the 35th minute to score a well worked try, with his teammate Phil Baldwin adding the additional two points to claw their way back into the game. This made the half time score Ellingham & Ringwood 20 - Eastleigh 13.

Ellingham started the second half strongly with George Randall getting his brace of tries with a powerful run breaking through the visitors defensive line and Tom Veneroso was able to convert to add two more points to Ellingham's growing tally of points. For the second week running Tom Veneroso was shown a yellow card for ill discipline and Phil Baldwin slotted over a penalty in the 61st minute to reduce Eastleigh's deficit. In the last ten minutes of a hotly contested game the home team broke free with Tom Veneroso back on the pitch he was held up just short of the try line, but was able to pop the ball out to his brother, captain and scrum half Sammy Venoroso to muscle his way over the line. Tom was able to convert for the extra two points. Then in 80th minute flanker Andrew James Lorton Esquire powered his way through the tiring visitors defence to score Ellingham's sixth try of the game which Tom Veneroso was able to slot through the uprights to extend their score. In the dying embers of the game in added time hooker Pat Fraser was able to power his way over the line in typical style to score the 7th try of the game for the home team to give them a resounding victory over their rivals and the win meant they leap frogged Eastleigh in the league to fourth spot to perhaps enhance Ellingham's push for promotion.

The Sweed