HARWICH and Dovercourt enjoyed a 41-0 victory at home to Felixstowe, in their Eastern Counties League division two clash on Saturday.

With ten changes to their squad from the previous week, their depth was going to be tested.

Harwich went on the attack from the start, with the backs and forwards combining well to work their way up the pitch.

Felixstowe defended well but, with the home side dominating scrums and line-outs, the pressure was starting to take its toll.

Alex Cullen was first to score, after nice inter-passing among the forwards, and Kyle Hutchins converted for a 7-0 lead.

Harwich were on the score-sheet again three minutes later.

From a well-executed line-out move, Simon Palmer burst over to score, leaving five Felixstowe players in his wake, and it was converted by Hutchins. The Harwich backs, not to be outdone, then scored through Elliot Hawkins.

After moving the ball through five sets of hands, Hawkins dragged a defender over the try line out wide to score, making it 19-0.

Play was then stopped for 20 minutes due to a back injury to a Felixstowe player.

An ambulance was called and play moved to another pitch.

From the restart, Harwich scored another two tries before half-time.

One went to Joe Francis, after ripping the ball off a Felixstowe player and falling over the try-line. Hutchins converted.

The next to score, after a flowing backs move, was Adam Eldridge, in the left-hand corner, for a 31-0 lead.

Harwich were only able to score two more tries after half-time.

There was still time for one more try each, for Francis and Palmer, making the final score 41-0. Harwich will be happy with the bonus-point win and no new injury concerns as they look forward to next week’s game, away to Aldeburgh and Thorpeness.

Coach Shane Manning: “Considering the ten changes we had from the previous week, I think we can be pleased.

“It wasn’t the best performance but a bonus point win is huge.

“We were always in control and never looked in trouble.

“Jack Cairns, Simon Palmer, Simon Pitman and Robert Wood had very good games and Josh Newlyn did well on his debut.

“We now have a hard game away to Thorpeness and will have changes again, with players coming back from injury, but need to keep our momentum going.

“We need to be more clinical and get the basics right.

“If we can do that the result will take care of itself.”