A promising lead and the match slipped away from Canterbury in the last twenty minutes of this Kent derby.

Their consolations were a losing bonus point and, because of results elsewhere, a guarantee that they are now safe from relegation pressures when they play their final game of the season next Saturday.

Coach Chris Hinkins view of his side’s second half performance was: “We just stopped playing.” He could also point to the work of the Old Elthamians pack, who dictated the tempo in that last quarter, Canterbury’s inflated penalty count which cost them points and territory throughout the game and a failure to take their opportunities.

Tom White kicked five penalty goals, as well as converting OEs only try, which constantly pegged Canterbury back when they were dictating matters in the first hour.

White claimed his first points after ten minutes but the city club’s response was quick and effective.  Full back Ollie Best made ground after collecting a clearance kick on half way, handed on to Harry Sayers and the wing’s clever running and off-load sent hooker Tom Rogers in for a try which Tom Best converted.

It all looked promising but Canterbury proved to be their own worst enemies.  Penalties rained down on them at scrums and in the breakdown areas, White punished them with two more successful kicks, against one by Best, and when a yellow card for Charlie Edwards reduced OEs to fourteen men the city men missed out badly.

A faltering lineout failed to deliver from catch and drive positions, an overlap was ignored and despite applying all the pressure they went into half time leading by just a single point.

They worked off some of those frustrations five minute after the break when a bright start produced a second try.  The backs created an overlap for lock Tom Burns  to add the finishing touch and Best’s conversion from wide out gave Canterbury an eight point cushion.

It was a time when most sides would have expected to kick-on, particularly as OE’s had not posed many threats apart from White’s accuracy with the boot. But exploiting their strengths they gave notice with a powerful run from wing Renford Bennett and a steady build up of pressure which put Canterbury under strain.

Slowing  the pace and applying the screw at a series of scrums gave Number Eight Tom Brown the opportunity to pick up and plunge over ten minutes from the end.

White, inevitably, landed the conversion to claim the lead over a city side who had lost their initiative and focus. They spent the final minutes defending grimly under their own posts and the last penalty of many gave White the simplest shot of his productive day.

Canterbury: O.Best, H.Sayers (repl A.Moss), C.Horey, T.Best, M.Rosvall, M.Beaumont, D.Smart, S.Kenny (repl J.Green), T.Rogers (repl S.Nixon), A.Wake-Smith (repl S.Kenny), R.Cadman, T.Burns, S.Rogers, S.Nixon (repl T.Edwards), G.Micans