Jason Worrall’s late try decided an action-packed contest as Chinnor made it back-to-back home wins with victory over Bishops Stortford.
Trailing by two points with ten minutes remaining, the Thame-based club needed to dig deep to avoid defeat at Kingsey Road.
And winger Worrall dived over in the 75th minute as Chinnor put last weekend’s late defeat at Rams behind them with a morale-boosting bonus-point win over a side they had only beaten twice in their last ten meetings.
The Oxfordshire outfit arguably could have done without another tense finale, but it may prove to be a pivotal victory with the highlights including Luc Jeannot and Nick Selway scoring their first tries for the club.
Director of rugby Matt Williams made seven changes, three positional, for the National League 1 contest.
Jeannot came in at tight-head prop, with Willie Ryan moving to lock and Ben Manning and Izzy Moore-Aiono starting at blindside flanker and No 8 respectively.
Pete Laverick, dual-registered with Exeter Chiefs, was handed his debut at outside centre, with Kieran Goss moved to full back and Worrall to the right wing.
Chinnor made a fast start and opened up a 14-point lead after 13 minutes.
Fly-half Laurence May sent Chris Elder racing through a gap and the centre’s fine one-handed offload put Jeannot over under the posts. May converted to make it 7-0.
Chinnor doubled their lead moments later when Goss scampered down the right and crossed in the corner, May brilliantly adding the extras from the touchline.
Stortford responded well to the early setback and hit back on 25 minutes when fly-half Bradley Burr’s no-look pass sent winger Chris Smith over, full-back Tom Walker adding the extras.
And the visitors ended the half on top, but Walker was unable to convert his own try as Chinnor led 14-12 at the break.
Stortford started the second period in the same vein and Sam Winter’s try, Walker adding the extras, put the visitors 19-14 in front.
But Chinnor responded impressively and driving lineouts led to two unconverted tries from replacement hooker Selway as they retook the lead.
They looked to have really got a foothold in the game when May’s penalty extended their advantage to eight points after 66 minutes, but Stortford were not finished.
Smith scored his second try, Walker adding the extras, as Chinnor’s lead was cut to 27-26.
And Walker’s penalty put the hosts back in front with ten minutes to go as the hosts stared successive defeats in the face.
But Chinnor were not to be denied this week.
Another driving lineout pinned Stortford on their own try-line and the ball was worked through the hands of May and Elder for Worrall to dive over for an unconverted try in the corner to make it 32-29.
Despite a late push from Stortford, that was how it stayed as Chinnor picked up a morale-boosting bonus-point win.
Chinnor: Goss, Worrall, Laverick, Elder, Yawayawa, May, Ashby, Fidler, George, Jeannot, Thomas, W Ryan, Manning, Kirwan, Moore-Aiono.
Replacements: Southworth, Selway, Gray, C Ryan, Flinn.
Bishops Stortford: Walker, M Ayrton, Winter, J Ayrton, Smith, Burr, Spivey, Brownhill, King, Harrison-Price, George, Lewis, Apperley, Ball, Kingham.
Replacements: Caulfield, Nel, Etherington, Keen, Cappaert.
