Hackney hammer Hemel Hempstead to maintain maximum record
PJ Lloyd was among the try scorers as Hackney hammered Hemel Hempstead 48-10 - Credit: Archant
Hackney continued their 100 per cent start to the London North-West Division Three season with a crushing 48-10 victory over Hemel Hempstead at Spring Hill.
A polished performance saw the Griffins run in six tries against their wearied opponents, with Paul Baker, Charlie Williams, Sean Conner, Ed Clark, PJ Lloyd and Ricardo Dubery all going over the whitewash.
First-choice second row Dubery showed a sharp turn of pace to run in the Griffins’ first try of the afternoon, stampeding 40 yards down the wing before going over, and kicker Joe Askham made no mistake with the extra two points.
Askham had given Hackney a 10-0 lead from a penalty before Hemel closed the gap with a score of their own in the corner.
But the home side had no appetite for another close game and struck back immediately, as number eight Adam Balzano reclaimed the kick-off and Lloyd gathered his own kick to dot down.
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Hemel responded once more, but their second try would prove to be their last, as Hackney steamrollered them from thereon in, with centre Conner showing slick handling to allow scrum-half Clark to secure the bonus-point try.
Leading 24-10 at the break, an early second-half penalty settled any nerves in the Hackney camp, before full-back Williams exhibited his electrifying pace to outstrip the Hemel back line and touch down for another converted try.
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Hackney know that stronger opponents will have capitalised on the occasional inability to execute exit plays, but on Saturday tight-head prop Sam Alderson decided to take matters into his own hands.
A rampaging run from just outside his own 22 left a trail of bodies in his wake and a well-timed offload to Conner put the centre in for a quickfire and well-deserved fifth try.
Clark was given a yellow card for one too many infringements in the red zone, but the dogged second-half defensive display was then rewarded by a final Hackney score when Conner cut through the Hemel midfield yet again before offloading for Baker to provide the icing on the cake.
