Result : 21 points to 24 points  

Despite the on-going absence of a number of first team players, Shelford are continuing to play with and increased level of confidence as each match progresses.

The arrival of Tom Dann and now Richard Davies has provided the three quarters with the experience that the Shelford Coaches have sought and at a usual windswept Woollams, the team demonstrated to Old Albanians how effective they can be. From the start of the match it was obvious that their hosts based their game plan on the size and bulk of their pack, but size has never been a problem to the Shelford forwards who showed their opponents the benefit of superior technique when Sam Tovo was able to drive over for a try from the back of a rolling maul after only ten minutes of play.

The additional points were registered by a fine conversion from near the touchline by Tom Dann. With the advantage of the conditions, Old Albanians were able to use their first phase possession to gain field position and test the defence of the Shelford line which held firm, due in part, to the efforts of Scott Jackowki, Aki Lea and Sam Tovo, until the thirty fifth minute when a box kick from the Old Albanians scrum half bounced conveniently into the hands of their left wing who forced himself over for an unconverted try near to the touch flag.

At this point, Shelford lost the services of Sam Tovo through injury and Alex Birkby to the sin bin, but with the continuation of their quality defensive play, restricted Old Albanians to the addition of only three extra points on the stroke of half time with the conversion of a penalty. With the half time score line standing at 8 points to 7 points, Old Albanians were aware that they needed quickly to put more points on the scoreboard, especially as they now faced the elements, were still plying against fourteen men and their pack was loosing parity. Fortunately they were awarded a further penalty which they were able to convert after only five minutes of the second half. The response from Shelford was immediate and resulted from a change of tactics with the ball being moved prior to contact. The Shelford players had realised that the sterling efforts of the Shelford forwards, especially Nick Arnold and Nick Sutcliffe, had taken its toll on their opponents and space was becoming available around the fringes.

The first player to benefit was Dominic Jones who sidestepped and accelerated through the Old Albanians defence to score a well worked converted try in sight of the goal posts. With the Shelford forwards now in complete charge of the set scrum, it was only a matter of time before further points were added. These came from a penalty converted by Tom Dann and then a further converted try, this time by Alex Birkby after the ball was moved at pace and prior to contact over three phases. By now the score line stood at  11 points to 24 points and the match had ten minutes to run with Shelford maintaining their dominance. Whereas for the preceding thirty minutes the Old Albanians had been unable to secure good first phase possession from the set piece, with the adoption of unopposed scrums, due to a supposed injury to one of their replacement prop forwards, they were handed the opportunity to score two unconverted tries in the last two minutes.   

Although the final score will be registered at 21 points to 24 points, the Shelford performance was one that will give their players a further confidence boost as they move on to the next London Division 1 match against Civil Service at the Davey Field on the 3^rd November.