By Adam Hookway

Tonbridge Juddians maintained their perfect run in National League 2 East - but left it late for a 38-37 win over fellow high-fliers Guernsey Raiders.

The victory was Judds’ fifth in a row and they kept their maximum points record intact in the process - although the visitors enjoyed the majority of the ball and territory, starting strongly with a penalty and converted try.

When Guernsey added a second converted score a few minutes later the home crowd were in shock with Tonbridge struggling to get a foothold. However they finally made some space in the backs and a clever kick ahead bounced nicely into Duncan Tout’s hands and he scampered down the left and under the sticks.

Tom White converted to move the hosts within 10 points, but Guernsey added another penalty to lead 20-7.

The gap was again reduced after TJs attacked a defensive lineout and the ball popped into the arms of Truman Sullivan to fall over the whitewash, White again converting.

From the restart TJs failed to control the ball and Guernsey slotted another penalty, the guests continuing to enjoy the bulk of the territory, but when Tonbridge did break out they were finding success and after an attacking lineout was thwarted illegally, Connor Lloyd took a quick tap to scamper in under the sticks with White adding the extras.

A few minutes later White kicked a penalty, but on the cusp of half-time Will Holling saw yellow to reduce TJs to 14 men.

It was more of the same from Guernsey in the second half. On 44 minutes they added another penalty and 10 minutes later a further converted try to lead 37-24. But they failed to put the game beyond TJs’ reach and as the contest edged into the final 10 minutes Juddians found room from an attacking lineout to feed Curtis Barnes to scythe through on an angle to score.

White’s conversion left the home side six behind and Guernsey became edgy in defence, TJs going close from a couple of attacking lineouts, before a move wide right as the clock ticked on found Tout to out-flank the desperate defenders and score in the corner.

White slotted the conversion with ease to give Tonbridge a three-point lead at the summit ahead of Saturday’s trip to Havant.