Win puts H&B back up to second

Hastings & Bexhill ran out 45-3 winners at home to Eastbourne seconds on Saturday.

The result moves H&B back up to second in Sussex One because rivals Holbrook failed to pick up a bonus point (for scoring four or more tries) in their 21-20 win at Rye.

Paul Sandeman kicked an early penalty, but a try from Rod Luff that was converted by Sandeman was all H&B could muster during the remainder of the first half as they reached the turnaround 10-3 up.

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In the second half, Sandeman converted his own try to make it 17-3 and moments later Ben Campbell scythed through the defence to score under the posts with Sandeman again kicking the extra two points.

Matt Harboard scooted in for the next, Andy Dalton powered over and captain Roger Roberts dived over for a deserved try with Sandeman converting all of them to make it seven out of eight successful kicks.

Elsewhere, Rye came agonisingly close to pulling off what would have been one of their finest ever results, but two Luke Cross penalties in the closing 10 minutes drifted agonisingly the wrong side of the posts.

Rye trailed 13-7 at half time with Gary Edmunds scoring their try and Cross converting. Tom Foster went over in the second half and penalties were traded before Holbrook held on by the skin of their teeth.

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Full reports on both games will appear in Friday’s Observers.

Standings (all played nine matches): 1 Uckfield 43pts, 2 HASTINGS & BEXHILL 34, 3 Holbrook 34, 4 Pulborough 30, 5 Burgess Hill 28, 6 Worthing III 20, 7 East Grinstead II 18, 8 Brighton II 16, 9 RYE 15, 10 Seaford 15, 11 Eastbourne II 8, 12 St Francis 4.