By Adam Hookway

Tonbridge Juddians added Havant away to their list successes this season with a 39-31 win their sixth in a row in National League 2 East.

It’s been a while since the league leaders visited their opponents and with their hosts newly-promoted the away side knew they were in for yet another tough match. Fortunately for TJs they edged it five tries to four to keep their maximum points and unbeaten start to the season intact.

Despite playing against the slope, TJs opened the scoring after eight minutes when Connor Lloyd scrambled over the line after his pack had done the hard graft. Sam Evans converted.

Without a great deal of the ball Tonbridge scoring opportunities were few, but Evans slotted a penalty after 25 minutes to make it 10-0 before Havant struck back with three points of their own - the final scoring of the first half.

After the interval Havant came out the quicker and when good work put TJs back in their own half they were able to rumble over for a converted try.

With the game all square TJs were galvanised but a lack of accuracy and poor ball retention meant they were unable to put any flow on their attacking game and a lack of creativity was giving the home fans hopes of an upset.

However Havant managed to shoot themselves in the foot as they looked to run the ball from their own 22 - only to find Vinnie Everitt, TJs captain for the day, intercepting and strolling in under the sticks after 52 minutes. Evans converted with ease.

From the restart the ball went wide left where TJs found the soft Havant edge and after some neat inter-passing Curtis Barnes was on hand to go over in the corner. Evans missed the conversion, but didn’t when Connor Lloyd touched down from close range to make it 29-10 in a five-minute spell.

Havant weren’t going away, though, and while TJs were able to blunt their hosts’ cutting edge they couldn’t keep their forwards at bay and two catch and drives, plus conversions after 63 and 73 minutes, brought Havant within five points.

The next points went Tonbridge’s way, Evans adding another penalty, and from the restart TJs were able to find space down the middle with Tom White racing to the line. Cut down short, the TJ pack piled in and forced Truman Sullivan over the whitewash for the decisive final try. White converted it twice with some aplomb after a false start.

The home side had the final hurrah with another well-worked drive to close the gap to eight with a try bonus point secured.

Tonbridge entertain fourth-placed Canterbury on Saturday (3pm).