After three losses in November, Farnham returned to form with an important win against Old Emanuel.
Farnham were prepared for a hard game, knowing that fifth-placed Emanuel had only lost narrowly to Richmond earlier in the season.
Farnham themselves had been steam-rollered 50-3 by league leaders Richmond who play the return match at Wrecclesham on December 22.
On a particularly muddy pitch, Farnham opened with a trademark (Richmond game aside) furious 10 minutes, in which they pinned the visitors inside their own 22, repeatedly winning the lineouts and testing the defence with some controlled rucking.
Old Emanuel soon buckled and a try resulted from a fine multi-phase move. Max Falkiner eventually picked up from the back of a ruck and, when stopped 10 metres from the line, popped a beautiful pass to Adam Christie who ran in for the try, unfortunately slipping before he could get under the posts. Nigel Rooney kicked a penalty soon afterwards to make the score 8-0.
Farnham followed their furious start with a trademark slack 30 minutes, allowing a very ordinary pack to take the game to them.
Old Emanuel deserved their try before half-time and the conversion cut Farnham's lead to 8-7 at half-time.
And within five minutes of the restart, the visitors were ahead after a comedy of Farnham errors, including dropped catches and 'air' kicks. After another converted try, Emanuel led 14-8 and Farnham were facing a crisis.
However, Farnham's pack came alive and got just a little more physical. A couple of penalties gave the home side territorial advantage through the boot of Simon Lewis and some great lineout work from Falkiner and Campbell Thompson set up their first try of the second half.
A rolling maul seemed to have been halted a few yards from the line, only for Sid Cranstone to run unopposed from the back of the maul to score. Farnham were back in the hunt at 13-14.
The floodgates then opened as the home forwards rucked and mauled their way into good field positions.
A five-metre scrum followed and Ian Holwill dived over under the posts, Rooney converting to make it 20-14 with 15 minutes to go.
Another fine rolling maul gave Farnham their final score – textbook stuff from the tight five who took the ball to within five metres and as the back row joined in, Karl Brown pinched the try from the hands of Andrew Mortimore.
This should boost Farnham's confidence going into Saturday's clash at second-placed Tottonians (ko 2-15 pm).
Farnham: Cranstone, Christie, Mortimore, Baker, Falkiner, Thompson, Brown, Holwill, Rooney, Lewis, Jarrett, Payne, Doran, Southwood, Heath. Subs: Van Dongen, Debenham.