Thetford are up to third in Eastern Counties One after winning their fourth successive game – ahead of this weekend’s derby clash with Swaffham.

Keith Rix’s team are now showing they can compete in the Eastern Counties top tier following promotion, after continuing their good form with a 15-7 win at Ipswich YM. They remain 15 points behind the top two but are proving to be the best of the rest.

Thetford took the lead after Ipswich kicked the ball over the top and winger Kai Stevens ran back at the defence before producing a lovely pass for Adam Harper to gather and hand off an Ipswich player to score his second try of the season.

The visitors soon extended their lead when Matthew Briggs took a quick tap-penalty to set up a ruck and the ball then went out to Rory Williams who ran a good line and dotted down under the posts, meaning Briggs could slot his first two points of the game.

Some good defence kept Ipswich at bay, but two penalties conceded in their 22 saw the Ipswich kicker miss an effort at the posts but then kick for touch with the other, before driving over from the lineout for a converted try to make the score 12-7.

Briggs kicked another penalty and Thetford worked hard to maintain their 15-7 lead through to the final whistle, with Brandon Finn named as the Enviro Waste man of the match.

Thetford’s match at Swaffham on Saturday kicks off at 2pm.