Stafford 1st XV travelled deep into the heart of Derbyshire for the first round of the intermediate cup. The team still found themselves short in some key areas, but were determined to give a good account of themselves against a Matlock side yet to loose in the league this season.

Stafford took the lead thanks to a period of early pressure, Rich Martins boot slotting the penalty between the posts. Matlock showed why they were top of the league as they forced their way back into the game, but they couldn’t break through a determined Stafford defence. The game continued to be evenly matched but started to turn as the visitors found it difficult to comply with the referees interpretation of the rules. The home side took full advantage to run in two converted tries. Stafford went into half time trailing by 14 – 3, with the scoreline giving a slanted view of the game.

The second half started with a Matlock team exerting all of their home field advantage, two penalties and a try taking the game out of reach of the visitors. Stafford wouldn’t lie down and the spirit of the team shone through as they continued to compete. Matlock couldn’t find a response to a blistering Stafford attack which saw Ali Oxley placing the ball over the line and Rich Martin taking the conversion to signal an end to the game.