Southend 32 (Tries: Billings 2 (8, 52), Soolefai (34), Connors (63). Frost 3. Pens: Frost 2 (26, 59).       

Bridgwater & Albion 26 (Tries: Elisara 2 (20, 29), Milroy (62), Penalty Try (69). Cons: Milroy 3.      

BRIDGWATER picked-up two valuable league points despite this defeat by league leaders Southend having scored four tries and reducing the arrears to less than seven points to take them up to sixth place in the table but with two games in hand on most of the sides above.

Southend went in to the lead after eight minutes when a Bridgwater attack broke down in the Southend 22. No.8 Jamie Connors made the initial break and linked up with full back Ben Green to put left wing Mark Frost in for a try under the posts with right wing Andy Green adding the extras.

The scores were level ten minutes later when hooker Simon Hafoka picked up the ball before breaking down the right before passing to Jon Edwards. The wing sliced through the defence before giving the scoring pass for full back Marshall Milroy to score in the corner before adding the touchline conversion.

Bridgwater fly-half Christian Wulff was denied a try after a forward pass before Frost put the home side in front with a penalty after a ruck infringement. Southend then had tighthead prop Michael Guess yellow carded for foul play but former Bridgwater Flapulou Soolefai was lucky not to have similar punishment.

When Edwards was making another break the Manu Samoa Sevens star stuck out his left arm which caught the wing across the throat. From the tap penalty Bridgwater moved the ball to centre Tito Elisara for a touchdown in the corner. But Southend Soolefai replied with a try, converted by Frost, to give Southend a 17-12 interval lead.

The second half didn't start well for Bridgwater with Milroy missing a simple penalty then scrum half Matt Britton was sent to the sin bin by referee Terry Hall for dissent. Soolefai then set-up Billings for his second try. Frost converted and then kicked another penalty to stretch the lead.

Bridgwater rallied as Wulff made a break to put Milroy through for his second try which he also converted. But then Southend seized an opportunity to claim a try scoring bonus point when a drop pass from Wulff saw second row Danny Hodge take a wild hack at the ball. 

It hit a Southend player and bounced towards the Bridgwater line where Connors collected the ball before touching down. Frost added the extras but Bridgwater continued to pressure and were awarded a penalty try after a player was tackled without the ball and Milroy added the conversion.

Canterbury 36 (Tries: Goode (29), Wolmarans (41), Pratt 2 (50, 61), Sykes (54). Cons: Dorton 4. Pen: Dorton (46).       

Clifton 52 (Tries: Butler 2 (10, 24), Viol 3 (12, 56, 76), Mace (18), S Kent (31). Cons: Barnes 7. Pen: Barnes (39).        

After some poor recent results Clifton turned in a great performance to close in on Hertford in the race to avoid thr drop.

The visitors made a great start and were 28-0 ahead after 24 minutes with four converted tries and centre David Butler completed a double. Canterbury stopped the rot with a try from prop Stephen Goode but by half time Clifton had added a fifth try and a penalty goal to lead 38-5.

Canterbury made three changes at half time and went on to score three tries in the opening 14 minutes of the second half to get the score back to 39-28. But a double from winger Rob Viol, as he went on to complete a hat trick after a first half effort, saw the visitors home and to five valuable points.  

Lydney 22 (Tries: P Price 2 (6, 64), C Jones (68). Cons: Westall 2. Pen: Westall (50).         

Cinderford 13 (Try: Evans (79). Con: Wearne. Pens: Wearne 2 (9, 44)      

Lydney kept their play off hopes alive with this home win over Cinderford but will be disappointed at not picking up a bonus point in front of a bumper crowd of over 1000.

The home side were ahead on six minutes with prop Paul Price going over for a try and Adam Westall added the conversion. Three minutes later and fly half Joe Wearne kicked a penalty for Cinderford in what turned out to be the final score of the half.

Wearne added a second penalty goal early in the second half but Westall responded for the home side to make it 10-6 after 50 minutes.

Tries from Price, to complete a double, and centre Craig Jones, with Westall adding a conversion, saw the home side move into a 22-6 lead after 68 minutes.

The visitors did manage to cross the home try lane late in the game when No 8 George Evans touched down and Wearne converted.

Hertford 13 (Tries: Wood (28), Vaileti (76). Pen: Davies (1).         

Westcombe Park 47 (Tries: Hayman (11), Preocanin (20), Johnson (24), Greenaway 2 (31, 49), Purdy (35), Hardcastle (72). Cons: Whittingham 6.          

Comfortable away win for Westcombe Park to keep the pressure on leaders Southend at the top of the table.

Kieran Davies kicked the home side ahead on the first minute but 10 minutes later the visitors were ahead with No 8 Tom Hayman going over for his 17^th try of the season.

Four more first half tries saw the visitors go into a commanding 35-8 lead and the try bonus point in the bag.

Winger Sam Greenaway got the opening try of the second half to complete a double and move onto 20 for the season.   

Hertford now find themselves just a point ahead of Clifton in the race to avoid the third relegation spot.

Old Patesians 12 (Tries: Pettigrew (11), Nock (70). Con: Nock.       

Dings Crusaders 22 (Tries: Jeffries (26), Wright Hyder (47), Gasson (53). Cons: Griffiths 2. Pen: Griffiths (4).       

DINGS Crusaders survival fight continues with their first away win of the season while Old Patesians slumped to their seventh home defeat of the season as they premature for life outside of the national league next season as they rest one place off the foot of the table.

The visitors dominated the early play and centre Gareth Griffiths put the visitors in to the lead after just four minutes after full back Gary Leadbetter had been judged to have been held-up over the line and referee Richard Draper penalised Old Pats for an earlier offence.

Then, against the run of play, Old Pats used a front of lineout peel move with skipper James Pettigrew crashing over the line. Just before the half hour Dings regained the lead as second row Mike Jefferies scored under the posts before Griffiths added the extras for a 10-5 interval lead.

Ten minutes after the restart Griffiths gave an inside pass to left wing Sylvan Edwards who broke from the half way and headed for the corner. But he was tackled just short the ball was recycled for left wing Chris Wright-Hider went over with Griffiths converting from the touchline.

Then five minutes later scrum half Waylon Gasson took the blindside option breaking from a maul. He chipped over the head of a defender before collecting the ball to score Dings third try. But ten minutes before the end Old Pats fly-half Rob Nock found his way over the line before adding the conversion.

Rosslyn Park 12 (Tries: Coetzer (29), Paul (40). Con: Mahony.         

Chinnor 13 (Tries: Pyers (14), Hewitt (80). Pen: Williams (37).     

Bad defeat for the home side against bottom of the table Chinnor. The visitors picked up just their third win of the season with an injury time winning score.

They took the lead on 14 minutes when winger Anthony Pyers went over for a score. Just before the half hour mark the home side were in front when flanker Quinton Coetzer went over and Richard Mahony converted for 7-5. On 37 minutes the visitors were back in front when Richard Williams slotted over a penalty goal. But in added time at the end of the half centre Anthony Paul went over and they were 12-8 ahead at the break.

Full Back Ben Hewitt got the winning score four minutes into added on time at the end of the half.

Havant 61 (Tries: Avery 4 (5, 30, 64, 80), Davenport (17), Ramus (24), Wells (45), Cheng Fook (50), McGovern (72). Cons: Ngapaku 7, Firth.         

North Walsham 15 (Tries: Thorpe (1), Groom (55). Con: Young. Pen: Young (27)        

Comfortable home win for Havant over North Walsham running in nine tries to move into third place in the table a point ahead of Lydney but nine points off the play off place.

Leading the way was winger Cam Avery who bagged four tries, two in each half.

They had the try bonus point in the bag after half an hour as they opened up a 28-10 lead.