ELY Rugby Club s title hopes were dealt a heavy blow on Saturday. The game quickly settled into a rhythm of the home side kicking and Ely running. But, due to sloppy marking, the first time Harwich moved the ball through the backs they reached the winger,

ELY Rugby Club's title hopes were dealt a heavy blow on Saturday.

The game quickly settled into a rhythm of the home side kicking and Ely running.

But, due to sloppy marking, the first time Harwich moved the ball through the backs they reached the winger, who ran 40 metres unopposed to give them a 5-0 lead.

Harwich scored two more tries from close-range penalties after a lack of forward pressure.

Ely's Lee Kupyn was controversially sin-binned and the Tigers held out until half-time 17-0 down.

Harwich scarcely got out of their half in the second period.

Ely critically missed an early simple try before Lee Coulson broke well, and the ball was moved quickly for Jimmy Gillborn to score and Ed Fahy converted to make it 17-7.

Stacey Mould, who was leading the Ely charge, had to leave with a head wound.

After further pressure, a superb try was disallowed for a forward pass, and Graham Park came close twice - his second effort was adjudged to have bounced as he attempted to touch down over the line.

Ricky Neal made it 17-12 after a driving maul and, in the dying moments Tim Mills was put clear 20 metres out after an incisive Carl Ward break, only for the pass to be whistled marginally forward again.

Director of Ely Rugby Club Terry Moore said: "The effort was huge but a lack of match practice resulted in a lack of sharpness in the first half.

"We were almost back to our best in the second half but luck was against us."