It was Canterbury that came out on top of a tight encounter at Merton Lane on Saturday afternoon.

After putting themselves on course for victory Canterbury ended up scrambling across the finishing line as Clifton staged an impressive second half recovery.

It took a Tom Best penalty goal and a huge defensive effort in the closing stages before the city club were able to claim this bonus point win.

From the comfort of a 19-7 half time lead, Canterbury’s efforts slipped from positive to profligate and they found themselves trailing by two points as the game went into its final quarter.

Slipshod thinking and a hint of complacency undid the earlier good work and a Clifton side, re-invigorated by a penalty try five minutes after the restart, took advantage.

After the previous week’s disappointing show at Southend, the city club came out with something to prove and for the first 40 minutes were sharp and incisive.

They went ahead after three minutes with a try from prop Ruairi McLeod, set up by Martyn Beaumont’s cross field run and help from Sam Rogers and Tom Sherson.

Good work by David Devlin-Jones from a Clifton clearance was the prelude to a second score. Ricky Mackintosh appeared in mid-field, a gap opened up and the wing and held off all pursuers in a memorable 40 metre run. It left Best with a simple conversion but a reversed penalty award gave the visitors an attacking opportunity and their first points – a well worked try for centre Sam Harrison, converted by Brad Barnes.

Canterbury’s confident reply was not long delayed; a clean break by scrum half Dave Marshall and Sherson was again involved before Rogers crossed for his side’s third try.

It was a case of so far, so good but Clifton came out firing in the second half and after Sherson collected a yellow card they won a penalty try as the city club defended illegally.

Banes added the goal but the visitors indiscipline gave Canterbury the chance of a swift response. Penalties, pressure at attacking lineouts and a neat switch of play ended with a second Rogers try in the corner.

The city side failed to heed the disciplinary lesson and for the next fifteen minutes Clifton dominated as they were gifted unnecessary penalties and Canterbury became increasingly ragged and unfocussed. A clinically driven maul earned a try for Clifton’s John Levis and when a city player was isolated at the tackle, they turned over ball and handled briskly before sending sent Cy Caven on his way to score.

Barnes’ conversion took the visitors into the lead for first time, leaving Canterbury with a tricky repair job. Best came up with the answer after 67 minutes, the second of two penalty shots finding the target, but a one point lead was nothing in a game of such swinging fortunes.

A sin-binning for Barnes should have spelled the end for the visitors but as Canterbury searched for another try an ill-advised kick was charged down and, instead, found themselves fighting for their lives in the last few minutes and just got away with it.

Canterbury: M.Beaumont, R.Mackintosh, J.Del Val, A.Veale, D.Devlin-Jones, T.Best (repl S.Browne), D.Marshall (repl C.Tandy), J.Green, S.Rogers, R.McLeod (repl S.Goode), B.Massey C.Hinkins,T.Sherson,G.Micans, W.Baars.