Fullerians still top of London Three North West after Hackney victory

Fullers maintained their position at the top of London Three North West but they were made to work hard by a resilient performance from Hackney.

However, two tries from Liam Boyd and Liam Mann, along with ones from Dan Evans and George Harvey, condemned Hackney to their eighth defeat of the season, and Fullers head coach Hoskins was proud of the way his team adapted under difficult circumstances.

He said: "Hackney rarely lose at home and are a difficult team to beat. They bullied us in the first half and deserved to be in the match at half time but this young Fullers side showed much maturity to up their game early in the second half and Hackney couldn’t match our physicality."

Fullers arrived later than scheduled after Hackney failed to confirm they were playing at another venue, but initial disappointment was replaced by jubilance as Mann pounced on a wild pass from the opposing scrum-half to score underneath the posts, Craig Duncan adding the conversion.

Hackney got back into the game after a good set piece from a lineout led to a try, but they were immediately behind again as full-back Evans scored in the corner following a fine move from the scrum.

Fullers extended their lead this time through second row Boyd, who powerfully crashed over the line from close range.

The away side seemed to be in control but a couple of injuries in quick succession seemed to derail them as a combination of poor defence and a lack of physicality allowed Hackney to score two tries, making the score 17-17 at half time.

But Fullers came out refreshed and within the space of 20 minutes they took the game away from their opponents. Boyd used his pace and strength to score a try after a slick passing move, while Harvey profited from some patient mauling to put some distance between his side and Hackney.

Centre Mann secured the win after some excellent off-loading allowed him to score a try in the corner.