Enfield Ignatians improved their away form after a comfortable 26-12 win at doomed Old Merchant Taylors’ in London Two North-West on Saturday.

The visitors did not have it all their own way in the first half though as they edged to a 7-5 lead.

Soon on the front foot, Ignatians breached the OMTs’ line for the only time in the first half in the ninth minute when prop Matt Pollard barrelled his way over after the visitors successfully farmed the catch and drive from the lineout.

Jake Bates added the extras but a minute later OMTs threw caution to the wind and, although there was more than a hint of a forward pass in the move, they capitalised on some slack defending to work in the speedy Naca Kinikinilau.

The second half was a different story as a resurgent Ignatians, via a combination of their strong press defence and another quality display from the back row of Richard Laurence, Matt Georgiou and Wes Warren, bottled up OMTs in their own half and hounded them into a series of errors.

Consequently the rampant visitors scored two further tries via captain Keir Bonnar and Liam Horn, who was played in via a deft back-flip pass from man-of-the-match Owen Perks. Three successful penalties from fly-half Jake Bates rounded off a productive afternoon.

The only blot on the landscape was the failure to wrap up the bonus point. However, they only have themselves to blame after dropping the ball over the line three times, and consequently it was OMTs that had the last laugh in the final minute after Kinikinilau’s breakaway effort.

Captain Keir Bonnar said: “We had a lot of possession in the first half but we were playing too frantically at times and didn’t convert the pressure into points.

“We were far more composed in the second half and the points came our way, although we let slip a few other try-scoring opportunities. Other than that, I’m pleased with our performance.”

Ignatians have two more league games left and face leaders Fullerians at Donkey Lane on Saturday week.

The seconds lost for only the second time in the league since the start of the new year after going down 39-7 to a strong Fullerians seconds outfit.

An improved second-half display saw Padraig Connelly go over as the visitors wrapped up their league campaign.

The thirds ended their Herts-Middlesex Merit Table Five season on a high following a 25-0 default win over Black Horse who failed to honour the fixture.