Welwyn 5 Barnet Saracens Elizabethans 15

London League 3 (North-West)

Barnet Saracens Elizabethans kept up the pressure on the top two sides, Twickenham and Hertford, whom they play in the next fortnight as they put aside the previous week's defeat and beat bottom club Welwyn in difficult conditions on Saturday.

They are home to Hertford this Saturday (3pm).

Twickenham are on 29 points after 17 matches, Hertford are on 27 after playing 16 games and BSE have 21 points after 14 matches.

On Saturday, heavy overnight rain and some snow had left the Welwyn pitch heavy and muddy with several pools of water lying in places. Inevitably as the match went on, the quality of play deteriorated, with players on both sides being unable to hold the ball or run with any purpose.

Perhaps realising how the conditions would dictate, BSE started strongly and effectively won the match in the first five minutes. A good lineout ball was fed out to the backs who made ground before Gareth Wynne Hughes made the vital breakthrough, releasing David Lewis for a try which Rob Glenister converted.

Glenister then added a penalty and with Welwyn's flanker being sin-binned for foul play, the BSE supporters awaited a series of scores, but this didn't materialise. Neat moves were attempted but the ball was a bar of soap and frequently fell from the hands, and a kick and chase game by both teams developed.

As usual, BSE's front row nicked a couple of scrums from their opponents' lineouts. Lineouts were also better controlled by BSE.

Welwyn, down 10-0 at half-time, and almost certainly doomed to the drop, bounced back with a controversial try early in the second period.

BSE's pack were adept at their driving forward mauls and several attempts were made to breach Welwyn's defence before Peter Moulton drove over for a try, restoring BSE's 10-point lead.

Meanwhile, Finchley need to win their home game against Old Merchant Taylors on Sunday to avoid being relegated for the first time since the start of the league programme in 1987. They were due to meet last Saturday, but Finchley's Summers Lane pitch was waterlogged.

And it is now mission impossible for Hendon, with only two points from their Herts/Middlesex League 2 programme to date, and a match to play against league championship contenders Haringey. One club is certain to be relegated and Wembley are above Hendon on points difference. Only if Wembley lose their remaining games and Hendon scrape a draw against Haringey on Saturday could Hendon escape.

But it's a tall order Haringey thrashed them 70-0 in the Middlesex Cup in December.

Hendon lost 29-5 to Hitchin on Saturday, Paul Kerrigan scoring their try.