St Ives had to be at their resilient best when they secured a hard-fought 27-7 away victory against a dogged Northampton Casuals side.
The Casuals' stubborn defence meant St Ives were forced to toil in the first half before they eventually pulled away in the second, extending their unbeaten run in the Counites 2 Midlands East (South) to four games.
Head Coach Paul Humphreys commented: "It was a game where we huffed and puffed and never got going.
"Credit to Casuals, their defence held firm, and they worked hard for each other.
"I told the lads at the end how proud I was at the way they had dug deep, showed resilience and found a way to win.
"That resilience will hold us in good stead as the season unfolds."
The first quarter of the match was a scrappy affair, with St Ives often gaining territory, but Casuals' determined defence kept them out.
The hosts had the clearest chance when a sweeping attack saw them go the length of the field only to knock the ball on with the final pass.
With the half-hour passed and the game still scoreless, St Ives gained a scrum five metres out, and Will Sutton picked from the base and muscled his way over, converting his own try
READ MORE: Albiee Tayedzerwa hat-trick helps Bulls bounce back with thumping victory.
The second half began with a familiar pattern, but entering the game's final quarter, Sutton pushed the Bulls further ahead with two penalties for a 13-0 lead.
There followed an intense period of pressure by the Bulls on the Casuals' line when, spreading the ball wide, Ollie Raine darted through the defence to score.
St Ives maintained their stranglehold on territory and scored a near identical try when Raine went over for his second converted score on 65 minutes for a 27-0 lead.
The Casuals managed to grab a late converted consolation score, but St Ives remained firm and will enjoy a rest week before they host Queens under the Friday night lights on October 13.
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