H&B promotion hopes burn bright

This superb win over the Sussex Division One top dogs, who had lost just one league fixture beforehand, coupled with Horsham's shock reverse at third-bottom Pulborough means that if resurgent H&B win their final four fixtures they will qualify for a promotion play-off if Horsham, who play Hove on the final day of the season, lose even once.

H&B led just twice in this tense contest - for an initial three minute spell early in the second half and then right at the death - but were full value for their precious two points nonetheless.

Manager Rob Hamilton said: "It was totally deserved. I thought we outplayed them completely and I thought they looked quite limited. Some people said to me 'you've stuck your neck out' (with his pre-match comments) but I stuck my neck out because I believed it and because we expected to win. And sides that expect to win do win close battles."

The fluency wasn't there early on and Hove took the lead when a raid down the blind side ended up with two speedsters against a pair of props and the outcome was inevitable.

H&B re-grouped and mounted an assault on the opposition's line but only had a penalty from Paul Sandeman, astutely switched to full-back to utilise his running skills, to show for their efforts.

Hove then enjoyed a spell of pressure and made it 10-3 with a try that was well-worked between the backs. The score remained unchanged going into the break because H&B spurned what would have been a straight-forward penalty kick in favour of running the ball which backfired.

H&B asserted their authority after the break and Sandeman reduced the arrears with a penalty before Tom Brampton got over in the left hand corner to hand them an 11-10 lead.

Hove were rattled and their scrum-half was fortunate not to be sent-off for a clear punch on Paul Flood right in front of the referee. But they regained the ascendancy courtesy of another penalty on an increasingly rare foray upfield.

H&B looked as if they had the beating of their visitors but it wasn't until the final two minutes that the forwards overwhelmed an exhausted Hove pack and Neil Redman touched down. Sandeman, who shared the Morgan & Lamplugh man of the match honours with Flood, added the extra two points and then another penalty to cap a crucial victory.

H&B visit second-placed Heathfield & Waldron on Saturday February 21.