ENFIELD IGNATIANS' lack of a cutting edge cost them dearly as sure-footed Romford & Gidea Park continually frustrated the visitors by dominating 26-0 at Crow Lane, writes Jonathan Landi.

Coach Emile Hertz said: "We played some good football in parts, and although we had our moments, we just couldn't finish them off. However, Romford took their chances and outscored us four tries to nil."

Ignatians, having lost ground with the middle-tier sides, remain rooted to the eighth spot and they will be desperate to end the year on a high when they entertain Old Streetonians at home on Saturday.

Hoping to improve on the 20-10 loss at the same ground two weeks earlier in a cup game, Ignatians, playing with a lot of ambition, gave the ball a lot of air as they opened up from all parts of the field but for no appreciable return.

The sea of good intentions often degenerated into the maelstrom of mediocrity as a wayward final pass, or a wrong option, continually undid the good that went before. This played straight into the hands of Romford's aggressive and very efficient defence which seized on the mistakes by forcing the visitors further and further behind the gain line.

However, Ignatians will take some mild satisfaction from a decent first-half showing. The pack foraged well and the two lineout titans, Dan Hutchings and Richard Laurence, won a lot of good ball.

Romford opened the scoring after 18 minutes when the impressive Matt Phillips deftly finished off his own chip and chase. Louis Stevens added the conversion before again providing the extras after Romford & Gidea Park were awarded a penalty try on the stroke of half-time after scrum-half Andy Roper dived over and killed the ball at a five-metre scrum.

Ignatians came out firing after the break. Some barnstorming runs by winger Sam Emery were only thwarted by some fine cover tackling and, although the visitors went close on a number of occasions, they failed to break down an unyielding Romford, as the paralysis of white-line fever took an increasing if unwelcome grip.

In a game in which the referee Rob Tahuri dispensed three yellow cards, Ignatians fell foul in this area after prop Shaun Quinn was given his temporary marching orders on 50 minutes for not releasing.

Trailing 14-0, Ignatians had a golden chance to put some points on the board on 54 minutes when Jordan Wilson was preparing to pot a very kickable penalty. However, he was left aghast after an over-eager team-mate took matters into his own hands by running the penalty and the initiative was lost.

By rights it should have been the call which should have steadied the ship. Instead, it marked the beginning of the end as Ignatians leaked two further tries, and they were punished a third time after the ball went loose, and Pete O'Brien gladly accepted the opportunity that came his way to claim an opportunistic score.

The death knell was finally sounded after the more clinical Romford closed in and created the platform in which winger Joe Howard stepped inside his man. The third Stevens' conversion only further twisted the knife.

Ignatians continued to chase the game, and the centre partnership of Keir Bonnar and Cor Von Mollendorff worked tirelessly to carve openings for others around them. But to no avail.

Despite the evident frustration, Ignatians are a side in transition. They have strived manfully to inject more width into their game this season and, although more pragmatism was called for on occasions, they are heading in a positive direction. The path has been rocky, but once the growing pains have stopped, they could yet prove their weight in gold.