Rosslyn Park climbed to fourth in National League One after a 38-3 hammering of Old Albanians.

The conditions at the start were far from conducive to great rugby with slanting rain, a slippery pitch and ball and a chilly breeze.

After a turgid first half, conditions improved and so – considerably – did Park to eventually claim the five league points they needed and with a fair bit in hand.

After only five minutes Park spurned a kickable penalty to go for the corner and the catch and drive.

The OA pack had no answer as Park surged over for skipper Hugo Ellis to ground the ball, fly half Tom Whelan converting for 7-0.

Despite the final score, Albanians showed they were a useful side - their ambitions were limited compared to the home side but they secured possession for lengthy periods and generally frustrated without causing real danger.

Surrey Comet:

Away: Charlie Broughton heads for the whitewash

Park gave several glimpses of what they might do, but too often errors intervened or they kicked away possession. They looked like scoring when gaining a throw close to the line but were penalised at the lineout.

OA gained some reward for their hard work when a penalty allowed Elliott Reeder to reduce the deficit to 7-3.

A super break from full-back Nev Edwards gained a penalty, despatched for a 5-metre throw. A scrum in front of the posts saw OAs in desperate straits.

They were penalised and Park opted to re-set the scrum. But Park were themselves penalised at the re-set and a golden opportunity was wasted.

OAs were far from out of the match at this stage and missed an easy chance to embarrass their hosts when spilling the ball forward with the line at their mercy.

Their rapier blunted by the slippery conditions, Park went back to the bludgeon just before the interval. They put a massive push on the OA scrum, which saw visiting tight-head Andy Berry sin-binned.

Two successive penalties were aimed at the corner, and on the second one Park set up an identical drive to their first score. This time lock James Inglis touched down for 12-3 at the interval.

Whether it was the sun coming out or Alex Codling’s half time talk we shall probably never know, but Park were transformed in the second half. Some super attacking rugby simply blew OAs out of the water.

Surrey Comet:

Here: Nev Edwards off-loads

A rampaging run up the left by Joe Ajuwa saw the ball passed on, and Park worked it over to the right where lock Will Bowley committed the last defender before passing on to winger Charles Broughton.

He cut in from the overlap to ease the difficulty of the conversion, Whelan making it 19-3.

Ten minutes into the half and Park had the bonus point they needed. A good run by Kiba Richards saw the ball shipped on to Edwards who sent Broughton in for his second try and 24-3.

Surrey Comet:

By-pass: Kuba Richards gets round the OAs defence

A penalty to the corner saw OAs again penalised. Park set up a scrum and Ellis grabbed his second try peeling from the base. Whelan converted before making way for Scott Sneddon.

Some neat play from Edwards was taken on by Sneddon who aimed a peach of a kick into Broughton’s arms wide on the right, but Park were penalised close to the line.

An attack up the left saw the ball go through several hands before replacement flanker Tom Baldwin got on the end of it to go over by the posts, Sneddon converted for 38-3.

There was just time for skipper Ellis to get yellow carded for a professional foul. OAs set up a massive attack with the last play of the match to try to rescue some pride and the short-handed Park defence did very well not to concede.

Park: Edwards; Brougton, Richards, Mama, Ajuwa; Whelan; Hoadley; Brown, Bellamy, McKenzie; Inglis, Bowley; McFarlane, Broadbent, Ellis.

Subs: Strachan, Staff, Baldwin, Sneddon, Field