Nottingham 11 Rosslyn Park 30 In what has been a very difficult season for Rosslyn Park, their supporters were finally given something to shout about with a superb performance and a convincing victory at Nottingham on Saturday, writes Bernard Wiggins.

There was a stiff breeze blowing straight down the pitch at Ireland Avenue, which was at the visitors' backs in the first half. It took just three minutes for James Justice to belt a penalty to the five yard line, from which Justice, coming into the lineout, strolled over.

Fifteen minutes elapsed before the Park pack forced a penalty and James Hendy obliged, scant reward for two try-scoring chances that had earlier gone begging. Five minutes later Park were over the line again. Justice took play to halfway and Hendy Strong and John Allen interchanged passes for Allen to score a fine maiden try for the club. Hendy converted and added another penalty on 29 minutes to put Park 0-20 ahead.

Shortly before the break, Park scored an almost carbon copy try, this time Andrew Walker benefiting from the assistance of Justice, Hendy and Stuart Hibbert. With the scores standing at 0-25 at the interval, Park's supporters were left wondering just how many points the strong wind was worth.

Good as the first half was, the second was even better. The warning signs were there for the visitors when Nottingham scored two penalties in five minutes and the score moved to 11-25 when full back Tom Rolt crashed over the try line, allowing Park the opportunity for a conference under the posts.

Nottingham continued to apply pressure but Park would not wilt. Justice took Park to the Nottingham 40 metre line and a clean catch by Lee Gibson sent the visiting forwards on a 40 metre drive that took play to the try line. Inevitably the maul was then pulled down and a penalty was awarded when perhaps a penalty try may have been warranted. However, it mattered little as Gibson again claimed the ball and the pack drove over the line to give Walker his second try of the afternoon.

Given Rosslyn Park's recent results, nothing could be taken for granted and pressure needed to be maintained. Down to 14 men with ten minutes to go, after captain Graham Boardman had been sin binned, Park withstood two five yard scrums and, with a seven man pack, twice put Nottingham into reverse gear. The defence was outstanding, with big hits seeing attackers thrown backward in the tackle, the front row causing the Nottingham pack all kinds of problems and in the end the home side being completely neutralised.

This was a great result for Park and, it is hoped, one that will be the beginning of a revival that will save their place in the division. With performances like this they have, at the very least, a fighting chance.

Park: Justice, Allen, Marval/Young, Singer, Mathewson, Hibbert, Hendy, Cooke/Cano, Keenan, Cure, Sedman, Gibson, Strong, Boardman, Walker.