Sutton & Epsom may be down, but they proved they weren’t out with an eight-try battering of North Walsham in their final National Three London match.

With relegation having been confirmed and Sutton’s only league victory over the Norfolk side having come 22 years ago, this was all about pride.

Both sides played expansive fast-flowing rugby but, once the North Walsham defence had run out of steam in the second half, Sutton dismantled them.

Sutton opened the scoring after two minutes when their pack drove over for prop Sean Kent to touch down and Steve Munford kicked the conversion.

Four minutes later, North Walsham showed great handling skill with flanker Matt McCall scoring wide on the left, but the conversion was missed.

From the kick off, Sutton’s elusive winger Andy Nicholls jinked his way towards the Walsham line before off-loading for number eight Simon Hough to crash over in the corner. Munford converted, but Walsham’s full-back Rhys Davies-Horne quickly responded with a penalty.

Sutton continued to press and scored next from a 5m scrum. An attempted clearance kick was charged down and Sutton flanker Chris Pointing scored wide on the left.

The home side’s adventure led to Walsham’s second try when outside centre Iain Young intercepted on halfway and ran in under the posts. Davies-Horne converted, but Munford kicked a penalty for Sutton shortly after and they turned around 22-15 ahead.

Sutton hammered at the Walsham line from the restart and, from a line-out 5m out, lock Jason Ford burrowed his way through a heap of bodies to touch down, Munford again converting.

Then, a brilliant charge out of defence by Sutton hooker James Bennett was eventually stopped on the Walsham 22. He offloaded to Andy Nicholls, who committed the last defender before giving the perfect scoring pass for full-back Louis Parker to dive in at the corner. Munford converted.

Bennett then scored a well deserved try of his own, getting the touch down as Sutton’s pack again drove over from a 5m lineout, and once again Munford converted.

Sutton were now rampant and perhaps a little goal line fever had set in but it was great to watch as players smashed their way through a fast fading Walsham defence.

Andy Nicholls set up Sutton’s next try with a jinking charge downfield he made it to the Walsham 5m line but was stripped of the ball in the tackle.

Walsham’s attempted clearance kick was charged down by the ubiquitous Munford and replacement wing Lyndon Burrell dived on the loose ball to score.

The conversion was missed but seconds later Munford broke out of defence sliced through the defence and won the foot race to score under the posts from 70m. He converted his own try.

It was a victory that certainly proved a statement of intent for Sutton’s London One campaign next season.