Hopes of a fourth straight league victory sank in a sea of Shelford mud as Canterbury failed make the most of their opportunities.

Snow fell until shortly before the kick-off and pitch conditions, not helped by a biting wind, the worst the city club have encountered this season.

Inevitably, it turned the game into an attritional contest between the packs.

The city side’s forwards were on top in the first half but could not turn their dominance and territory into points. Shelford put their house in order after the break, got stronger as the mud became thicker and were rewarded with the game’s only try.

Under the circumstances the back divisions on both sides were virtually redundant as serious attacking units. Ironically, the two occasions that Canterbury did get the ball across the home line it was their runners who were involved but both scoring efforts were disallowed.

What the city were made to regret most, however, was their lack of a finishing touch in the first 40 minutes. They dominated the set pieces, with Shelford barely winning a lineout, forced penalties and set up at least three inviting catch and drive positions which they failed to exploit.

The home side’s obdurate defenders were adept at stopping the maul and twice, with the line only a metre away, Canterbury were penalised for holding on as they drove forward.

Even more frustratingly they went into the shelter of the half time dressing room three points behind.

An occasional visit to city territory saw Ed Gough kick a penalty goal for Shelford and on a day when scores of any kind were hard or come by it felt like a serious blow.

Canterbury thought they had put that right at start of the second half. Shelford resisted a series of close quarter drives before Tom Best’s slide kick opened the way for Martyn Beaumont to touch down. The full back was judged to have been in front of the kicker and the chance had gone.

The decisive score came in the 50th minute after Shelford had battled their way upfield again. Flanker Richy MacIver picked up off a scrum 25 metres out, arced powerfully to the left where the city defence was found wanting before he touched down.

With the ball increasingly difficult to control, mistakes inevitable and the Shelford forwards growing in authority Canterbury’s prospects became more remote. A Charlie Harding penalty attempt drifted wide but an error in midfield by the home backs raised further hopes. A long hack and chase to the line, with Beaumont and Connor Wallace-Sims in pursuit, held out a real chance of a try but a defender got to the ball first – and that proved to be that.

Canterbury could make no progress, kicked poorly from hand and the home side ploughed through the remains of the game with growing confidence/ It left the city club still seeking their first victory at the Cambridgeshire side’s home.

Canterbury: M.Beaumont, A.Moss (repl G.Hilton), C.Harding, A.Veale, M.Rosvall, T.Best (repl C.Wallace-Sims), G.Kay, C.Townley (repl S.Kenny), S.Rogers (repl T.Rogers), A.Wake-Smith, R.Cadman, C.Hinkins ( repl S.Rogers), T.Sherson, R.Ward, A.Cathcart