Rosslyn Park saw off a resilient Hartpury College on Saturday to keep place with leaders Ealing Trailfinders at the top of National League One.

Tries from Jack Gash (two), Hugo Ellis, Nev Edwards and Louis Grimoldby, who also bagged three conversions, saw Park home 31-10 in Gloucestershire.

The hosts started strongly, enjoying the upper hand for the first 20 minutes, but Park’s strong midfield tackling restricted their scoring opportunities to a seventh minute penalty from fly half Gareth Thompson.

Once Park moved up a gear they hit a purple patch and very nearly killed off the match before half-time.

Hartpury found it difficult to cope with the power and organisation of the visiting pack.

A maul up the left on 20 minutes was the sign that Park were now firing and a good attack took them deep into the 22, and lock Will Bowley very nearly got over.

Hartpury had to concede a penalty to stop the visitors, which was hammered to the corner to set up the catch and drive and it was skipper Ellis who grounded the ball on 22 minutes for a 5-3 lead.

Surrey Comet:

Try: Jack Gash gets one of his two tries 

Park were soon back knocking on the door following another penalty to touch, setting up a powerful drive. Hartpury resisted a number of surges before scrum half Gash squeezed through to score between the posts - his half-back partner, Grimoldby, slotted over an easy conversion for 12-3.

Park were now all over Hartpury like a particularly virulent rash and a strong run from Ellis nearly reached the line, and again the pack surged over but this time the referee was unsighted.

Following more big pressure from the visiting pack it was again Gash who found the gap for Park’s third try in an intense 15 minutes. Grimoldby kicked the conversion for 19-3, with five minutes to the interval.

But Hartpury did not lie down and they came back at Park, who appeared to be defending successfully until full-back Ruardhi McConnochie sold them a lovely dummy and went in by the Park posts, Thompson converting for 19-10 at half-time.

When Hartpury made a good start to the second half, suddenly a nine-point margin did not look absolutely secure.

In truth, though, Hartpury did not possess the weapons to seriously damage Park’s defence whereas every time the visitors broke they looked distinctly dangerous.

A good Park attack faltered when the ball was knocked on and winger Dave Vincent was released through the middle, almost bringing a try. Harry Broadbent, Lewis Brown and the lively Gash all came close to breaching the line until Hartpury eventually conceded a penalty almost under their posts.

Surrey Comet:

Second time's a charm: Jack Gash gets his second try of the afternoon

Park opted for the scrum; a free kick and another penalty saw resets but – just as a penalty try looked inevitable – Park were themselves penalised.

Park had to wait until 73 minutes for the try that sealed the four-try bonus to keep them on the heels of Ealing.

Powerful winger Joe Ajuwa made a good run up the right to reach the five metre line.

Park spread the ball towards the left and full-back Edwards popped up in the line to score to the left of the posts. Grimoldby’s conversion put the outcome beyond doubt at 26-10.

A minute later the fly half had a try of his own. Hacking the ball on from midfield he set up a race between himself and the home defence.

He got to the ball first and a further kick on propelled it to the in-goal area, where he won the race to dive onto the ball in the corner. In the heavy underfoot conditions two such accurate kicks showed immense skill, but he narrowly missed converting his own effort.

It proved to be the final chance for either side, and Park ran out winners by 31-10 but Hartpury had made them work very hard for it.

Park: Edwards; Ajuwa, Mackey, Richards, Vincent; Grimoldby; Gash; Brown, Bellamy, McKenzie; Treadwell, Bowley; McFarlane, Shires, Ellis. Subs: Woolstencroft, Palframan, Broadbent, Hoadley, Broughto.