SOUTHEND Saxons’ Iain Meads scored on his return from a hamstring injury to help secure a winning start for new director of rugby Danny Cleare at Chichester on Saturday.

Meads, who had been sidelined since the opening day of the season with a hamstring injury, was joined on the score-sheet by Cleare as Southend moved up to seventh in the National Three London & SE standings with a 20-12 victory.

And Meads was delighted by the hard fought triumph.

“It was a very tough physical game,” said Meads.

“We defended well for long periods of the game and that is shown by them not scoring a try.

“We did make it hard work for ourselves and we should have won by more in the end if we’re honest.

“We weren’t clinical enough in their 22 and that’s something we will have to work on if we want to push on from here “But it was good that we got the win.”

The victory - which came after Rob Baynes was also able to kick 10 points - was Southend’s second in succession.

However, it was their first since Cleare was named as interim director of rugby until the end of the season.

And Meads was happy to have helped his team-mate get off to a winning start.

“I’ve played with Danny for the last two seasons and got to know him well over that period,” said Meads.

“I know he will give it his all as director of rugby and will do well.

“But it was great to have won his first game.”

And, adding to Meads’ delight, was his try which saw him prove his return to full fitness by sprinting the full length of the pitch to score.

“I was happy to get the try,” said Meads.

“It came from some great defending on the line from the boys who put pressure on the fly half who threw a long floated ball which I managed to catch and run down the other end of pitch to score.

“It was also my first game back from injury so I was happy to last the full 80 minutes.”

Southend will now be looking to build on the win when they host fifth placed Guernsey at Warners Bridge on Saturday.

And Meads is determined to help Saxons secure another victory as they look to bounce back from last season’s relegation from National Two South.

“It’s very important we build on this win and ensure we are getting better week in week out,” said Meads.

“We’ve got a tough game this Saturday but if we put in the effort we did this week in defence and ensure we are clinical I’m sure we can get another win.

“We all want to get promoted back into National Two South this season and my own personal aim is help make that happen by bagging a few more tries for the team.”