Westcliff returned to National League Three London & SE action with a 43-10 defeat at home to second-placed Tonbridge Juddian.

But their performance was better than the score-line suggested. The visitors were forced to withstand an early spell of pressure from their hosts before they opened the scoring with a penalty.

Two more followed before Tonbridge also grabbed their first try of the afternoon to make it 14-0 as the conversion was missed. That soon became 21-0 with a converted try which followed an unsuccessful Westcliff attack.

Westcliff got on the score-sheet with a penalty from Ben McKeith and, despite the score, they did not stop attacking from deep. However, Tonbridge showed their class in defence and gradually moved upfield.

As a result, their left winger looked certain to score but Westcliff’s scrum half George Parmenter hurtled across field and hammered him into touch meaning there were no further scores in the first half.

But, Tonbridge opened up in the second period with a try that went unconverted. That made it 26-3, yet Westcliff suddenly upped their game and strung together a magnificent move but as a player was tackled he fed the ball directly to a defender who cleared.

Westcliff soon went on the attack again and moved the ball across field to put Paul Gregory in the clear to sprint around the cover and score an excellent try which McKeith brilliantly converted.

At 26-10 hopes of a Westcliff comeback were raised but a penalty given away inside the 22 enabled the Kent club’s kicker to extend his side’s lead.

And the visitors took possession and raced away for what proved to be a simple try and the conversion made it 36-10.

Though not always played at high speed, the game moved from end to end and from a move that went deep in to the Tonbridge half, they again got possession of the ball.

Tonbridge then raced 85 metres to score the final try which was converted to complete the scoring as Westcliff suffered their eighth defeat in 10 games.

Westcliff: Sigwart, Reynolds, McKeith, Sigwart, Gregory, Mahoney, Parmenter, Kividsi, Roberts, Levy Scogins, Dartnell, Binneman, Whiting, Roberts.

Replacements: Miller, Healey and O’Brien.