Fakenham sitting pretty ahead of derby test

Having taken a maximum of 15 points from their first three games, Fakenham sit top of the league ahead of their derby clash against West Norfolk on Saturday.A 55-26 victory over Crusaders at the Stringer Ground saw them continue their excellent start to the Counties 2 Eastern Counties season.Fakenham opened the scoring after working the ball out wide to winger Jack Bryan-Green was able to cross the whitewash and get around towards the posts before dotting down just four minutes into the game.Fly-half Lloyd Marshall was successful with his conversion.A long clearing kick from Marshall put the ball on the away side 22 before winger Trent Stoltz got a couple of touches to take the ball over the line and away from the defenders before diving onto it for his first try for Fakenham.Marshall slotted home the conversion.Home second-row Matt King did well to get up ahead of his opposite man in the middle of the line and steal the ball. Fakenham worked the ball across the pitch to full-back Murray Tindal, who threw a dummy before crossing the line and placing the ball down. Marshall added the extras to put Fakenham 21-0 up.Crusaders responded with a try of their own before Tindal unselfishly provided the final pass for Stoltz to score his second try in the corner.Unperturbed, Crusaders fought back once again, scoring only five minutes later. From the restart, Fakenham managed to regain possession.Tindal kicked down the blindside and chased it himself, before managing to get the ball away to flanker Pat Casey. He showed impressive strength and determination to power over from 5m out despite having two defenders hanging off him.A strong carry from outside-centre Aaron Tagg on the opposition 22 saw him crash through an attempted tackle before making a beeline for the corner and diving over the touchline and Fakenham led 36-12 at the interval. Three minutes after the restart, inside-centre Tom Bane-Young set up Tindal to cut in and score his second, dotting down underneath the posts. Marshall quickly slotted the straightforward conversion.Tindal and Bryan-Green then combined for Tagg to score again and the hosts were 48-12 in front.Crusaders fought back with two converted tries but it was the home that had the final say a few minutes before the end.A Crusaders kick was caught by Bryan-Green on his five-metre line and he called the mark. Quick thinking from the backs saw space on the right and they took it quickly, spreading the ball wide to the right.Tindal got his hands on the ball on his own 22, then showed his express pace to cut back inside and outstrip the defenders, before finishing acrobatically underneath the points.Marshall knocked over the extras to complete the scoring.The Barsham Brewery Man of the Match went to outside centre Aaron Tagg.