Hendon score 14 tries in one-sided Chess match to maintain perfect start
Hendon captain Cian Hynes flicks a pass out to Adam Johnson (left) to set up the first of the winger's three tries. Pic: Paolo Minoli - Credit: Archant
Hendon’s devastating start to their Herts/Middlesex Division Two campaign continued as the league leaders ran in 14 tries to thrash Chess Valley 84-10 and maintain their perfect record in their opening four league games.
Adam Johnson scored a hat-trick and captain Cian Hynes, Derry O’Connor and Harry Charles all touched down twice, while John McCarthy, Paul Geraghty, Toby Ikwueke, Ben Edwards and Mike Evans-Jones also crossed the whitewash.
Hendon have now scored 250 points in their first four league fixtures – an average of 62.5 per match – which leaves them top of the table on points difference ahead of Saracens Amateurs as they take a break until November.
The Dons got the breakthrough on Saturday as O’Connor kicked upfield and Hynes flicked a clever pass out to Johnson, who dived over the line. The visitors’ heavier pack kept them into the game until midway through the first half, but the floodgates then opened.
An attack set up by John Paul Cremin and Tom Mathias was stopped short but McCarthy went over from a maul, and Hynes then followed suit before converting himself, while flanker Jamie Connolly set up a second try for Johnson – also converted by Hynes, who added seven kicks in all.
Hynes then took a tap penalty and O’Connor saw off three defenders to finish in the corner and put Hendon 29-0 ahead at the interval.
The hosts got a try of their own after the break but Charles charged down the conversion before crossing the whitewash twice in succession at the other end.
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Hynes went over in the corner from the restart and Geraghty then emulated that feat with the try of the match, fielding the kick-off on the 10m line and running 60 yards to increase the visitors’ misery.
It got much worse. Evans-Jones set up O’Connor for the 10th score, Johnson completed his hat-trick and Ikwueke and both prop Edwards both got in on the act before Evans-Jones got a deserved try himself. Chess Valley had the final say but their late try was scant consolation.