MERSEA Island’s recent run of good Eastern Counties League division one results came to a 80-5 shuddering halt at Ely.

The Islanders, who had won their last three games, travelled with a depleted side with a number of regulars missing.

However, the Islanders were still able to put out a strong side, including coach Andy Moncur making his playing debut this season.

But after the two-hour journey it seemed that the Islanders were still in the cars for 60 minutes of the game giving Ely, a very well-drilled outfit, a chance to punish them for seemingly not turning up.

Ely started very strongly, putting in three tries within the first ten minutes.

Mersea, with their backs to the wall, rallied and provided the opposition with a bit of tackling practice.

However, the Islanders could not break down the door with wave after wave of attacks running into a solid Ely defence.

Captain Andy Kahn went close to grabbing a try for the visitors.

But he knocked the ball on over the line where quick hands from the Ely backs allowed them to sprint the length of the pitch and wrap up the bonus-point try within 20 minutes.

Mersea never gave up and showed their resilience throughout the first half, even after conceding a few more tries.

Ely never gave up wanting to score and continually ran at the Mersea defence who, in the end, had to take the game for tackle practice themselves.

On a day that Mersea wanted to continue their winning ways and good form it was a scoreline that was difficult for them to take.

However, the Islanders did eventually get over the line in the final play.

Good rucking from Drum Sydenham, James Sparks and the pack saw Moncur manage to ground the ball over the try-line.

He then missed the conversion attempt leaving the game 80-5 to Ely.