WESTCLIFF suffered a disappointing 21-17 defeat to relegation rivals CS Rugby 1863 in a crucial National Three London & SE encounter.

CS Rugby started the day bottom of the table but were still able to shock Westcliff at their Gables ground.

And that dragged Westcliff back down into deep trouble, much to the disappointment of their first team manager Rick Compton.

“We went into this crucial bottom of the table fixture fully aware of its importance and the need to pick up points,” said Compton.

“We wanted put distance between ourselves and our opponents and the other sides around us both.

“But that didn’t happen and elsewhere two of the three teams below us had surprise wins to compound a miserable afternoon.”

As a result, Westcliff are now just one place and three points above the relegation zone.

But things started brightly for them at the weekend with Sam Reynolds continuing his excellent try scoring form with another effort to put the home team in front.

Moments later, Chris Dudman increased Westcliff’s advantage even further with another try after winning the race to collect his own kick forward.

The subsequent conversion made it 12-0 to the hosts before CS Rugby began to get back in to the game with a penalty.

Westcliff led 12-3 at the break but failed to impress in the second half despite the visitors being reduced to 14 men.

CS Rugby were able to dig deep to keep their hosts at bay and, shortly after they were back to full strength, came a moment of controversy when Westcliff fly-half Greg Bannister made a break deep in to the visitors’ half before being pole-axed by what appeared to be a high tackle.

However, the referee bizarrely played advantage for a knock on to the visitors as the poor tackle went unpunished.

But several players became involved in a fracas after the incident and both teams had a player sent to the sin bin.

And, from that moment on, Westcliff’s game that had never been at its best disintegrated.

Composure and confidence evaporated while their decision making and game management was abject.

CS Rugby sensed the change in mood and seized their opportunity scoring a try quickly followed by two penalties presented to them through dire Westcliff discipline and hesitation.

Now losing 14-12 with 20 minutes to go, Westcliff needed to stand up but instead continued in the same vein before game was taken away from them when yet another error led to a converted try under the posts.

In reply, Reynolds’second try offered some small hope for Westcliff but in the end it led only to the securing of a losing bonus point.

Westcliff: Argentieri, O’Brien, O Jones, Mamea, Dudman, Bannister, Roskams, Skidmore, Hopkins, Brown, Dartnell, Scoggins, Smith, Dellas, Reynolds.

Replacements: Whiting, Cosgrove, Merrick