A dazzling 40-yard run by winger Adam Stirling gave Harpenden a dramatic 24-17 win over Honourable Artillery Company on Saturday.

In maintaining their 100 per cent start to the season against a team that had defeated them twice last year, Harps also firmly secured their grip on second place in London Two North West.

The win had seemed unlikely at half-time when they trailed 17-10 after a combination of basic handling errors and lack of discipline had begun to cost them dear.

Harps deservedly took the lead with an Aaron Wilde penalty after HAC had been pinged for offside.

City hit back when an overlap on the left wing enabled wing Stephen Jenkins to score in the corner.

And five minutes later they went further ahead after a well-worked move ended with flanker Ben Rees racing through the middle to touch down under the posts.

Harps scrum-half Adam Wilkinson reduced the deficit on 30 minutes when he darted through a gap in the defence for a try which Wilde converted.

HAC full-back Rory Price then scored a few minutes later in the right-hand corner shortly after Harps second row Oli Lacey had been yellow-carded for holding on the floor.

Worse was to follow for Harps eight minutes after the break when flanker David Green was sin-binned for a high tackle.

With their opponents starting to tire, they were eventually rewarded with a try under the posts by Yannick Green. Wilde converted to even the score at 17-17.

With time beginning to slip away, the game had seemed destined to end in a draw until Stirling cut loose to score a superb individual try for the winner.