COLCHESTER battled through a blizzard to win 10-3 against a hardy North Walsham team to stay top of London League division one north in a game afflicted by snow and freezing rain.

The Norfolk visitors, nicknamed ‘the Vikings’, adapted to the Scandinavian weather conditions and competed throughout in a confidence-boosting performance to ease the memory of their 61-26 home defeat by a fast-moving Colchester team earlier in the season.

Both teams struggled in the adverse conditions with handling errors from frozen fingers and a slippery ball while the greasy surface made changing direction difficult for runners.

Short passes and forward rumbles inevitably dominated play.

Colchester controlled most of the game, their marauding forwards and cavalier backs taking play to North Walsham but possession and position was not turned into points.

Walsham mounted a robust, well-organised defence and counter-attacked with enthusiasm to occasionally threaten the Colchester line.

With the blizzard raging Colchester started well and attacked close to the Walsham line, winger Dave Brennan coming close to a try after five minutes of play but suffered a leg injury in the process. Joe Flexman replaced him.

Colchester continued to press for the first quarter. Centre Matt Smith broke to within a metre of the line but Colchester knocked on at the resulting ruck.

At the ensuing scrum the Colchester forwards drove the capable Walsham pack backwards, disrupting and turning over possession for prop James Mitchell to plough over for a try under the posts. Fly-half David Higgins added the conversion for a 7-0 lead on 25 minutes.

A ten-minute break to allow snow to be swept from the pitch markings then disrupted play, the snowstorm moving on leaving a freezing drizzle in its wake when play resumed.

Colchester again closed to the Walsham line, Ollie and Liam Pickett, Harry Gozzett and Graeme Hay prominent in the forward pick-and-go drives. Danny Whiteman drove the Walsham number eight over his own line with the ball. But Walsham’s staunch defence and Colchester fumbles and offsides frustrated the hosts’ scoring opportunities before half-time.

Colchester forced Walsham onto the defensive for the next quarter. Wing James Crozier came close, linking with full-back Brent Cutbush on a couple of attacks, which may have succeeded on a firmer surface.

Skipper Calum Irvine and Hay drove to within a metre of the Walsham try-line, but prop Joe McMillan unluckily knocked on grounding the ball.

North Walsham defended in depth before moving upfield, aided by Colchester ill-discipline. Full-back Rhys Davies-Horne added a long distance penalty to put the visitors on the scoreboard before being yellow-carded for preventing early release as Colchester mounted another threatening attack. Higgins converted the penalty for 10-3.

Competing to the end, Walsham forced Colchester to defend before they broke to midfield where the contest ended.