HARROGATE opened up a gap of three points between the top four clubs and the rest in National Two as they raised their game once again to make free-scoring Esher appear a very ordinary side with a 24-6 victory.

Esher battled well against the wind in the first half but had neither the ideas nor the individual players to open up a well controlled Harrogate side.

A break by Rhys Morgan set up Lee Cholewa for the first try which he converted himself.

With a strong wind behind them Harrogate kicked for position into the corners and from a line out the forwards used their rolling maul to drive for the Esher line where prop Paul Gabriel touched down for a converted try.

Harrogate lifted their game in the second half and when second row Peter Taylor broke away from the rolling maul he fed the ball inside to the workhorse Mike Worden for his fifth try of the season and extended the lead to 19 points.

Into the last quarter of the game, man-of-the-match Oliver Cook, who had a storming game at No 8, picked up the ball at the base of the scrum and evaded the Esher defence to gain 20 metres.

The eagle-eyed Ed Smithies once again spotted the opportunity and when the ball came right he timed his run perfectly to stride over for his tenth try of the season and Harrogate's fourth of the game. Esher's only reply came from two penalty kicks from number 14, Gregory, midway through the second half.

Updated: 13:02 Monday, January 27, 2003