Combe’s 2nd XV were leading this nip and tuck game by a single point when Hastings and Bexhill put together the slickest backs’ move of the match orchestrated by their influential number 10. The try in the corner that ensued meant that the visitors had the last word in a close encounter to run out 30-26 winners.

H&B had taken the lead after 10 minutes after a period of sustained pressure in Combe territory, but Combe responded quickly with a KK Orelaja break and score by Tom Hummerson. Fred Lowe’s low flying conversion put WPRFC in front at 7-5. 5 minutes later H&B went down to 14 players when a defender was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock on. But the home side couldn’t take advantage as ball retention and handling was proving a challenge in the bitter conditions.

Indeed it was the visitors who scored next on 33 minutes when Combe were penalised in front of the posts. That lead was extended to 7-13 when H&B struck from distance with the Combe defence disjointed.

After 6 minutes of the second period Hastings’ stand-off threw a dummy and scored under the posts and the successful conversion made the lead 7-20 to the visitors. Combe needed to score quickly if they were to stay in the game and that score duly came from a dominant Combe scrum with props Kieran Read and Tom Hummerson to the fore. Number 8 James Blackmore picked up at the base of the advancing scrum and dotted down. Lowe’s conversion was successful making it 14-20.

A subsequent series of errors extended H&Bs lead once more and, at 14-25, Combe would have to pull something out of the bag. They duly did. Inside centre Orelaja first threw a long pass for full back Joe Birch to outflank the defence to make it 19-25 and then minutes later provided a clever assist for Combe’s fourth try scored by Hoad which Lowe converted making it 26-25. But the win for the Goddington Dene side was denied by the fine final effort from the visitors.

A gutsy performance from Combe’s 2nd XV and with a bit of tightening here and there the results will come.