Bishopston dominate derby clash to sink Ashley Down
The visitors led 20-10 at the break before surging clear, running in a total of nine tries as their superior pace and fitness told in the final 30 minutes.
A fluid, off-loading game and imaginative approach – one 11-man line-out led to a try and almost produced a second – moved Bish into fifth place and to the top of a group of five teams on four points, including Ashley Down, though the gap between the rivals appeared far wider on the evidence of this one-sided derby.
The visitors dominated pretty much every facet of the game with the back three of Sam Halabi-ahma, James Oakley and full-back Dave Preddy causing havoc all afternoon with their long-range counter attacking.
Oakley and Preddy both claimed two tries apiece while Phil Cottis, a second-half replacement for the injured Halabi-ahma, ensured there was no respite with two late lung-bursting scores of his own.
But the man of the match was Darren Havard, who produced a master-class of midfield play. Organised and resolute in defence, the centre also brought out the best of those around him thanks to the precise timing of his passing, appreciation of space and eye for the gaps that those with real pace could exploit.
Fellow centre Rob Daniel claimed Bish's first try of the afternoon, while hooker Richard Bond and prop Mike Monaghan also touched down with Jon Martin slotting one penalty and four conversions.
Ashley Down's best period of the game came late in the first half, ironically after being reduced to 14 men following the sin-binning of Lee Saunders for throwing a punch.
The scrum-half returned just as a series of catch-and-drive moves produced a converted penalty try to reduce the deficit to 17-10.
Bish then had lock Will Diamond yellow-carded for another line-out offence. But despite being one short, the visitors had the last word of the half with a 25-metre Martin penalty.
It was that kind of day for Ashley Down with skipper Ben Guy admitting: "We didn't turn up today. It was shocking. we were chasing shadows all afternoon."
A poor defensive display saw Old Bristolians fall to their first defeat of the season, a 42-31 home loss to Cheltenham Civil Service.
Tries from Keir Chastney, Jon Whiteman, Steve Forster and Joel Keen were not enough to overcome a clinical Cheltenham performance.
Unbeaten Kingswood, meanwhile, moved two points clear at the top of Gloucester Two after making light work of bottom side Tredworth, who were dispatched 63-3.
Paul Allen and winger Chris Phillips, returning from a broken ankle, both bagged try hat-tricks with James Willmott, Alex Green, Damien Crosswell and Matthew Perriman also touching down.
In Gloucester Premier, saracens.com/news/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Saracens made it four from four with a 37-17 home win over Gloucester Old Boys. There was a hat-trick for No 8 Martin Soby, who touched down in the opening minutes of both halves, two late tries from winger Dan Whitford and an important effort from scrum-half Rob Webber in the final seconds of the first period.
Nick Webster weighed in with two conversions and a penalty.
Old Colstonians dug in for a fine 28-24 success at Ross-on-Wye to stay in third place.
Winger Grant Williams (2) and scrum-half Mike Price claimed the tries with fly-half Kai Daniel adding 13 valuable points from the boot thanks to a drop goal, two penalties and two conversions.
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