Ely Tigers Fall 22-29 in Wet Clash

 

🏆 Counties 1 Eastern Counties

📆 22nd November 2025

🆚 Saffron Wakden

🕣 2pm KO

📍Pocock & Shaw Park

On a wet Saturday, Ely Tigers were still chasing their first win of the season as they fell to a 29-22 defeat against Saffron Walden. Once again, they were unable to field their strongest starting 15 due to player availability.

Within two minutes, Saffron Walden scored a converted try under the posts, finding their way through gaps in the Tigers’ defense to take a seven-nil lead. The Tigers steadied the ship and gradually worked their way back into the game, With 11 minutes on the clock, Walden had the chance to extend their lead with a penalty, but the ball drifted just the wrong side of the posts. However, by the 21st minute, they managed to increase their lead with an unconverted try, making it 12-0. Walden extended the lead in first half stoppage time, finishing some free flowing rugby to score a converted try, to lead 19-0, from the restarts some good play by Tigers saw Mitch Kennett get the ball over there the try line, after some strong play by Jordan Barnes as the Half finished 19-5. 

The second saw a further try for Walden as the cross the try line for a converted try as the referee points for a Walden score as they increase the lead to 26-5, but Walden soon went down to 14 as they receive a yellow card, and during this time Tigers score, as they score a try to make the score 12-26. a further try saw the Tigers make the score board 17-26, but a penalty to Walden in front of the posts saw them kick for the points, which sees them keep the scoreboard ticking over and to increase their lead to 17-29, Tigers score again t0  close the gap, with Jordan Barnes scoring to decrease the gap to 22-29, but time ran out as the referee signaled full time and another defeat for the Tigers.

This coming weekend Tigers travel to 5th place Colchester, 

Try Scorer, Jordan Barnes

Ely Tigers Fall Just Short in a Nail-Biting Clash Against Ipswich YM

🐯 Game Day #169

🏆 Counties 1 Eastern Counties

📆 8^th November 2025

🆚 Ipswich YM

🕣 2pm KO

📍The Street, Rushmere St. Andrew

Ely travelled to the newly renovated Ipswich YM for their latest league fixture, seeking their first victory of the season. The Tigers made an impressive start, with Tom Green scoring the opening try and Matt McCarthy completing the conversion. Luke Turner then added a second try, extending the lead to 14-0. However, a handling error by the Tigers allowed YM to get on the scoreboard, narrowing the gap to 14-5.

Starting from a lineout deep within the YM half, Ely advanced the ball over the try line, with Lee Thompson scoring and McCarthy successfully converting. Subsequently, following a scrum in their own territory, YM managed to clear their lines with an up field kick; the ball bounced favourably for YM, allowing them to secure a converted try, bringing the score to 12-21. Approaching halftime, YM further reduced the deficit with another converted try, resulting in a halftime score of 19-21.

The second half starts like the first half finished, both sides  looking like they were going to score, but neither could find the finishing touch, but YM took the lead with an unconverted try in the corner,  to lead by three points, from a line out, Ely’s Jordan Barnes  goes over in the corner, with McCarthy unable to convert from the touch line, An intercepted pass saw YM to run in a try under the uprights, as they converted to lead 31-26, with time running out, but there was still time for Ely to score one more try, with Turner scoring his second try of the afternoon, with McCarthy adding the conversion to lead 33-31,

With the match approaching the 80th minute and entering added time, YM responded as the referee awarded a penalty to the home team. Choosing to kick for three points, the attempt was successful, sending the ball over the uprights. The referee then signalled the conclusion of the game, with YM emerging as 34-33 victors.