Wasps 5 Belsize Park 30 BELSIZE Park kept their hopes of promotion from the Herts Middlesex League division two alive when they thumped Wasps in Ealing on Saturday. Park, who returned from a whirlwind tour of China last week, came with

Wasps 5

Belsize Park 30

BELSIZE Park kept their hopes of promotion from the Herts Middlesex League division two alive when they thumped Wasps in Ealing on Saturday.

Park, who returned from a whirlwind tour of China last week, came within a whisker of promotion last season.

They have now amassed 15 points this campaign, just one point behind second-placed HAC, whose final game is against league leaders Harlequin Amateurs on April 12.

But Park have a good chance of moving up a place before then as they are expecting to be awarded the points from their abandoned game with St Nicholas Old Boys five weeks ago.

Park's home game with St Nicks was called off when, with Park 12-0 ahead, several of the Old Boys squad left the pitch after a disagreement with the referee.

"We are expecting that match to be awarded to us," said Park secretary Matthew Flynn, who believes Park could be handed a 12-0 win, which would take them one point above HAC.

On Saturday, Park were skippered by Will Drewe, who set the standard by banging over a 10th minute penalty for a 3-0 lead.

However, Wasps were in no mood to surrender and quickly hit back with an unconverted try.

But the home side's slender advantage did not last long as Chris Geary benefited from solid support play to touch down for a try, converted by Drewe for 10-5. Park then heaped pressure on the home side, scoring a further two tries before the half-time break.

First, Zach Webb touched down and then Campbell Stevenson had a touch of luck when he grabbed a try just before the interval for a handy 20-5 lead.

In the second half Belsize kept up the momentum and Webb grabbed his second try of the game, again converted by Drewe.

The skipper then wrapped up an impressive team, and personal performance by rifling over a late penalty.

"We were a little scrappy due to the terrible weather conditions but we were glad that we did what we had to do to get ourselves into a play-off position," said Flynn.

Belsize Park squad: Coursol, I Deay, Webb, Hope-Bell, Baxter, Hannifin, Allen, Harrison, Stephenson, Drewe, Wokes, Meyrick, Lever, M Deay, Wilson, Bone, Geary, Bazzo, Apps.

l Hampstead were edged out 17-14 away to Twickenham in the London League division three (north west) on Saturday.

Dave Mold kicked Hampstead into a 9-3 lead after 20 minutes before Dave Sleight scored an unconverted try for a half-time lead of 14-3.

However, Hampstead conceded two converted tries at the start and the end of the second period to trail 17-14 going into the final minute. Mold then had a chance to snatch a draw but pushed his penalty kick wide of the posts.

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