IT was double cup delight for Maldon RFC.

Both Maldon’s first and second team had qualified for their respective Essex Cup finals.

Maldon’s firsts played against Bancroft.

The game started with Maldon scoring through number eight Anthony Barrett, crossing close to the posts, with Mike Farmer adding the conversion.

Bancroft responded strongly and pressured Maldon for the rest of the half, eventually scoring to make it 7-5 at half-time.

After the break, Maldon again came out strongly and Farmer knocked a penalty over to increase the lead.

After a period of pressure, full-back Jamie Lyons broke strongly down the right, beating multiple defenders to score out wide.

Bancroft came back and scored a penalty and then, after Maldon held them at bay for long periods, they scored again in the 72nd minute, bringing the game to a tense finish with the scores tied at 15-15.

Maldon took the game by the scruff of the neck and drove down the pitch, putting Bancroft under sustained pressure.

After a fantastic tackle from prop Brenden Bignal they earned a penalty in the 78th minute.

Farmer coolly converted to put Maldon ahead and seal the win.

The second team played Pegasus Palmerians.

The game didn’t start well with Maldon being reduced to 14 men after a sin-binning and down by 14 points on the score board.

The team showed outstanding character and belief to pull together and fight back to within two points at half-time.

After the break, both teams came out with the ambition to score tries.

After a breathless second half, where both teams scored multiple tries, Maldon, with ten minutes to go, were ahead by six points.

But Pegasus scored and put them ahead by a point with five minutes to go.

The team again knuckled down and drove to the opposition 22-metre line when they earned a penalty.

With the usual kicker fly-half Jack White cramping up, scrum-half and chairman of the club Jeremy Woods stepped up and slotted the penalty to give his team the win.

To finish the season off Maldon as a club went away on tour to Malta.

They beat teams from all over the world including France, Dubai, and multiple English teams to win the Malta Veterans Tournament.