CHINNOR dug deep to overcome Canterbury and extend their unbeaten away run to seven games.
Ehize Ehizode’s eighth-minute try proved the difference in a fixture which was turned into a gritty, attritional battle by Storm Dennis.
With Rams’ game at Cinderford postponed, Chinnor moved up to third in National League 1 with seven matches remaining.
It was a far from pretty affair, but the four points are all that matter as the Thame-based side made it five successive wins.
Director of rugby Matt Williams made eight changes from last week’s victory over Old Elthamians.
Camilo Parilli-Ocampo, Dan George, Ehizode, Matt Marley and Ofisa Treviranus came into the pack, while Ed Hoadley, Kieran Goss and Sam Yawayawa also returned to the starting XV.
Chinnor were greeted by a strong wind in Kent, which was blowing down the pitch as the storm was only just beginning to take hold.
Canterbury won the toss and made the visitors kick-off downfield with the wind at their backs.
With the conditions only due to deteriorate, Chinnor knew the importance of putting points on the board.
They dominated the half, with Canterbury unable to make up any ground with the ball in hand, while the strong wind prevented them from being able to kick clear with any effect.
It became obvious early on that set-piece would play a key role and Chinnor nearly took the lead on six minutes, but Treviranus dropped the ball when attempting to touch down.
Canterbury’s penalty count had already begun to rise and advantage had been played, so it was to be another scrum and the visitors launched an attack which resulted in Ehizode driving over, Laurence May converting.
Marley was making his first start since November, but he was forced off after just 14 minutes with a suspected broken rib and was replaced by Ben Manning, who himself was ending a three-month wait for an appearance.
Canterbury’s penalty count continued to rise and the hosts had Elliot Lusher sin-binned, but the visitors were unable to make the most of their numerical advantage.
The hosts, who had barely left their own half, ended the opening 40 minutes by keeping possession on their own 22 but were never able to make up any metres.
Despite playing into a strong wind and uphill in the second half, Chinnor spent long periods inside the Canterbury half and retained the ball for more than 20 phases on a number of occasions.
It was a rather turgid, energy-sapping affair, but the Oxfordshire side were showing a different side to their game in horrendous conditions which were only getting worse.
The hosts never looked like scoring and did not threaten the try-line all game, but had a sniff late on when Tom Fidler was sin-binned and Charlie Kingsman found touch.
However, Joe Dancer brilliantly stole the lineout and Chinnor were left celebrating a hard-fought success on the road.
It was ugly, it was messy, but the four points are heading back to Kingsey Road.
Canterbury: Corcoran, Mackintosh, Morgan, Meads, Grimes, Kingsman, Williams, Lusher, King, North, Rouse, Corker, Rogers, Edwards, Stapleton.
Reps: Smart, Young, Wake-Smith, Waddington, Cadman.
Chinnor: Harries, Worrall, Yawayawa, Laverick, Goss, May, Hoadley, Parilli-Ocampo, George, Rees, Ehizode, Dancer, Tyas, Marley, Treviranus.
Reps: Fidler, McNulty, Gray, Manning, Barnes.
