A storming second half earned Harpenden two losing bonus points for their wares at Hammersmith and Fulham but it was so nearly much more.

The hosts looked out of sight at the interval after running up a 31-0 lead but Harpenden, despite losing three players to injury, roared back with 31 points of their own. Unfortunately for Matt Davies’ charges, the last 10 points came after Hammersmith’s solitary second-half try, which effectively won them the game.

The result still leaves Harpenden in second place in the table, but Hammersmith, in third, have closed to within one. Staines are a further point adrift having lost to Hampstead.

Hammersmith were already seven up when Charlie Howard became the first casualty of the game, suffering from a shoulder injury, and they added another try as Harpenden’s disrupted defence got to grips with the game.

Another injury, this time a concussion to forward Sean Longden, put more pressure on Harpenden’s defence, and more notably their scrum, as the hosts scored 14 points to turn around with a commanding lead.

In danger of being embarrassed, Michael Goode led the fightback with a try that Aaron Wilde converted. He was perfect with his next two kicks as he added the extras to a brace of tries from Adam Sterling.

More changes were enforced when young Curtis Reynolds came on following a knock to Chris Wilkinson and it was a similar story to the first half as Hammersmith capitalised to touch down.

Sterling completed his hat-trick to pull Harpenden within 10 and, with almost the last kick of the game, Wilde slotted a penalty from the halfway line to double his sides’ bonus-point tally.

Old Merchant Taylors visit Redbourn Lane his Saturday.