The Tigers kept their promotion bid on course with a hard-fought win at rivals Ipswich, on Saturday.

After dominating the first half, Lloyd Palmer’s side had to survive a spirited fight back from their hosts in the second half, that saw them come within a whisker of victory.

But Ely held out long enough to record a vital victory and keep hot on the heels of pace setters Southwold, who sit four points clear at the top of Eastern Counties Division 1.

Early pressure from Ely forced Ipswich to concede a series of penalties, which Joel Scott Paul stepped up to convert for an early six-point lead.

The Tigers were dominant in the scrum and Mark Ryder picked up from the back, sprinted down the blindside and the ball was passed wide to Scott Paul. He darted through the defence and touched down for an unconverted try.

In the second half, again, the Tigers were first to score. A strong forward maul, from a line-out, drove Ipswich over their own line and Ryder touched down for a converted try.

But, in the last 30 minutes of the match, Ely began to lose players to injury and Ipswich fought back. The hosts scored three unconverted tries, and Ely were forced to hold on in the dying minutes of the game to earn the win.