AFTER going unbeaten in their pre-season games, Ely recorded a great win in their opening Eastern Counties League fixture on Saturday. Hadleigh opened the scoring with a penalty as the visitors made an uncharacteristically slow start, but a tidy forward d

AFTER going unbeaten in their pre-season games, Ely recorded a great win in their opening Eastern Counties League fixture on Saturday.

Hadleigh opened the scoring with a penalty as the visitors made an uncharacteristically slow start, but a tidy forward drive allowed the backs to show their mettle and Tom Jackson dived over for a try which Jamie Russell converted.

Another tremendous drive - this time on the blind side - resulted in Sam Saunders Hewitt off-loading the ball to Jackson, and although he was brought down in the shadow of the posts Luke Cornwell made a great supporting run to collect his first try for the team.

Russell again obliged with the conversion to make it 14-3, and it was not long before Paul Finon - who picked up a superb running line and fed tight off the shoulder of Hewitt - crashed through three tackles to score on his debut.

Hadleigh were becoming increasingly frustrated, and soon gave away a penalty which Russell converted to make the score 22-3.

Just before half-time Karl Hayler powered over the line for yet another debut try, making it 27-3 at the interval.

The hosts improved somewhat after the break and managed a consolation try, whilst Ely failed to add to their first half points tally.