A BRACE of tries from Harry Hudson was not enough to stop Southend Saxons suffering a painful 27-26 against high-flying Bishop’s Stortford at Warners Bridge on Saturday.

The defeat means Saxons are just one place and four points above the relegation zone with one game to go.

But Hudson is backing Southend to get the point they need to stay up when they head to Redruth this weekend.

“I've done the rounds online and we're the favourite to go down now but we will go to Redruth and get a bonus point minimum and all will be well,” stressed Hudson.

“It was gutting to lose at the weekend but more gutting that Lydney scored their bonus point try in the last minute because without that we would have been safe.

“But our performance was encouraging and we can take positives from that.

“We've shown all year that when no one expects anything from us we will perform so I'm not shocked by how we played but it was just a shame we couldn’t get the result.”

Southend will now be desperate to bounce back in their crucial clash against Redruth.

And top try scorer Hudson will again be looking to add to his tally.

“I was about time I got some meat (meat pie meaning try), said the former King John School pupil.

“Michael Guess has been telling people I’m a vegetarian because I hadn’t scored in a while so it was nice to change that and hopefully I can get another one in Saturday’s big game too.”

Southend raced out of the blocks at the weekend in front of a crowd of almost 500 with Hudson and winger Sam Nash both scoring inside the opening eight minutes.

Brad Burr converted both efforts to make it 14-0 but Bishop’s Stortford soon started to hit back and enjoyed a spell of pressure which resulted in Southend centre Sonny Gay being yellow carded.

Gay’s opposite number John Neville immediately rain in their first try which was converted by Tom Coleman before Neville touched down again to cut Southend’s lead to 14-12.

A Coleman penalty soon put Bishop’s Stortford ahead for the first time and, just after half-time, they made it 20-14 with a try from Stephen Ball.

But Southend’s forwards then came to the rescue and dominated their opponents which enabled Hudson to touch down for a second time.

Burr’s conversion made it 21-20 to Saxons but the youngster then saw an attempted clearance charged down which enabled Neville to collect the ball and complete his hat-trick.

Coleman’s conversion put Stortford 27-21 ahead but Southend continued to battle and were rewarded three minutes from time when winger Billy Driver finished off a fine move.

However, Burr’s difficult conversion sailed high, wide and short of the target meaning the fight against relegation will go to the last day of the season.

Southend: Meads, Nash, Gay, Vaughan, Driver, Burr, Hoadley, Fardell, Bloomberg, Bevans-Royston, Chesney, Jackson, Fombo, Hudson, Legge

Replacements: Smith, Strachan, Williams, Cleare & Branch