ROCHFORD Hundred’s five-match winning run was ended by Norwich who scored a late try to triumph 18-15 at Magnolia Road.

Rochford had led for most of the match.

And their first team manager Graham Pratt was disappointed not to have come out on top. “It was one of those games that could have gone either way but it was a cruel blow to lose at the end,” said Pratt.

“We were much improved, showed class and aggression and thought we had just about done enough to claim the result.”

Rochford started well and went ahead with an Adam Ashton penalty kick but Norwich fought back and their pressure resulted in their full back running over for a try.

Norwich soon launched another attacking move but a swift interception from Sam Edwards saw him run half the length of the pitch to score under the posts and Ashton duly converted.

Later in the half more Rochford pressure paid dividends when young winger Matthew White finished off a good move for a well taken try to put his side 15-5 up at the break.

The second half was fought mostly in the Rochford half where ferocious tackling kept the fast flowing Norwich backs at bay until they eventually found enough space to go in for a try to reduce the score to 15-10.

Norwich clawed back three more points with a penalty kick and with the score line at 15-13 to the home side the game was on a knife edge.

Norwich kept looking for the gap but Rochford denied them right up until the end when the visitors scored from their last, desperate attack out wide.

The defeat also saw Rochford slip down to fourth in the table.

Rochford Hundred: Mark, Chivers, Brooker, Whight, Murphy, Spencer, Corbet, Horsburgh, Smith, Ashton, White, Stewart, Stemp, Edwards, Baker.

Replacements: Wisman, Warner & Popham.

>BASILDON suffered a third defeat in four games as they were thrashed 77-3 at home to Campion.

Basildon now sit 10th in the table.

>EIGHTH-PLACED South Woodham Ferrers bagged a second win in succession as they thrashed struggling Braintree 68-7.