Wolds win on Saturday meant it was eleven wins from eleven games for the season so far and it also meant that Wold had then beaten every team in the league as they reached the halfway point of the season increasing their lead to six points clear at the top of the table with an unblemished record, Ely, their closest rivals, having drawn 19 - 19 away at Newmarket.
The fact that Wold had not played for three weeks showed a little in the early stages of the game but as the game went on Wold simply got stronger and stronger and they proved just too well organised and strong defensively for the valiant Crusaders team who never gave up and nearly scored a try on three or four occasions but Wold simply refused to buckle.
To score five unanswered tries against a Crusaders outfit that constantly tried spoiling tactics to keep the Wold under control was testiment to the current skills and determination of the young Southwold side, and even the Wold makeshift front row did a good job on the day against a well drilled Crusaders pack
After only five minutes Darius Mullen ran in on the right for Wold's first try after Ben Haddingham had caught a high ball and made a fine break before some slick close passing led to the score in the corner but the conversion was missed
Six minutes later Crusaders replied with a penalty kick, after Wold had come in from the side at a ruck, to make it 3 - 5 to Wold
At the end of the first quarter Southwold won turnover ball and the ball was spun out rapidly to the left where hooker James Hall received the ball twenty metres out and broke to two tackles at pace to score a great try in the corner and again the conversion was missed
Crusaders again replied with another penalty kick this time for obstruction of the runner following a high kick to make the score 6 - 10
Just before half time it was Wolds turn to be awarded a penalty for hands in the ruck, but they chose not to kick for goal and kicked for position in the corner. Wold won their own lineout ball and the pack powered towards the line with a great drive and eventually as Crusaders tried to hold them up, Adam Smith ripped the ball out twisted with brute strength and dropped over the line for a great try but even with the score nearly under the posts again Wold missed the conversion to lead 6 - 15 at half time
Ten minutes into the second half Wold were awarded a penalty under the posts but it was taken quickly and the ball simply spun out to James Barton on the right wing who scored an easy try in the corner and this time Haddingham slotted the ball over for the conversion to increase Wolds lead to 16 points
Wold were dominating proceedings by this time and kept driving back towards the Crusaders line from all areas of the pitch but Crusaders refused to buckle easily and it took until the 65th minute before Wold won good lineout ball at the back of the line in the right hand corner, the pack again quickly gathered together for a strong drive which resulted in Wolds last try of the game, completely made and finished by the forwards, to make what was to be the final score 6 - 27 to Wold as again the conversion was missed

Towards the end of the game Crusaders pressed again for a try but Wold kept them out much to the disappointment of the home crowd who tried their best to urge their team over the line

Next Saturday sees a home game against Woodbridge on the common with a 2.00pm KO and Wold will be hoping for their first win in the reverse fixtures as they continue their drive for promotion from Eastern Counties One and to try and protect their 100% record for the season to date

MOM at Crusaders Ben Haddingham

Arn the Wold !!!