NATIONAL TWO SOUTH

Southend Saxons 15, Bury St Edmunds 27

SONNY Gay bagged two tries for Southend Saxons but was unable to stop them suffering a 27-15 defeat to Bury St Edmunds which all but confirmed their relegation from National Two South.

The second from bottom Saxons are 14 points from safety with just three games to go this season.

And Gay knows Southend are now incredibly unlikely to beat the drop after suffering another frustrating setback.

“There's not a lot to make of the game really, we needed the win to keep us in with a chance of staying up but it didn't come it and it’s knowing gutting that that will be it now,” said the centre.

“Obviously it's great scoring tries but if the result doesn't come the tries mean nothing really, especially on Saturday as the relegation fight is pretty much over.

“We are too far off with only three games to go and if Worthing and Canterbury get a point in any of their remaining games we will be down which is hard to take.”

Southend will now need maximum points from all their games with other results going their way if they are to pull off an unlikely escape.

Saxons gave it their all at the weekend but went behind after just seven minutes when winger Matthew Hema touching down.

Southend hit back with Gay scoring his first try of the afternoon and Brad Burr adding the subsequent conversion.

But Bury St Edmunds’ scrum half Pierre Peres quickly hit back with a try for the visitors with Scott Lyle adding the extras to put his side 12-7 in front.

A Burr penalty cut their lead before the visitors went further ahead with a try from centre Sam Sterling which was again by Lyle.

Gay’s second try of the afternoon meant Bury St Edmunds led 19-15 at half-time.

However, Southend could not find a way back in the second half as the game tightened up before the visitors made sure of their win with Lyle scoring a penalty and second row Makulusio Koroiyadi touching down for a try.

Southend, who now seem certain to be playing in National Three London & SE next season, travel to table-topping Cambridge on Saturday.

Southend Saxons: Meads, Billings, Gay, Vaughan, Cleare, Burr, Daly, Strachan, Day-White, Bevans-Royston, Twight, Smith, Bailey, Morrison, Fombo

Replacements: Fardell, Kirkbride, Barker, Shields & Ashton