This was a massive win for Canterbury which lifts them two places up the league table and eleven points clear of the relegation zone.

The city side now go into their three remaining games knowing that one victory should guarantee their place in National 2 South next season.

If that happens they will look back on this performance, the first time they have won at Southend, as one of the most significant of an uneasy campaign.

With the result hugely important to both sides it was always going to be a dogfight and Canterbury had to recover from a severe wobble early in the second half before their resilience and determination earned the bonus point win.

Playing against the wind they negotiated the first half skilfully and were a shade unlucky to be five points down at the break. Then all that good work was put in danger as they quickly shipped other eight points to trail 18-5.

Allowing Southend, with prop Mike Guess in the sin bin, to stretch ahead while they were reduced to fourteen men could have proved terminal for the city side’s chances.

How they picked themselves up to add to three tries to Tom Best’s first half effort was testament to their positive attitude and the way they defended their line so ferociously in the closing minutes of the match.

Southend, heavily reliant on pack power, failed to make the most of their first half opportunities.

Brad Burr kicked an early penalty goal but it wasn’t until the final minute of the half that those menacing forwards won a penalty try, converted by Burr, when they splintered the Canterbury scrum. Scrummaging apart, however, Canterburywere their match, dominating the lineouts, sharp at the breakdown and heavyweight in their tackling.

A ball dislodged in the tackle opened the way for the city side’s 20th minute try as wing Ricky Mackinotsh went clear and some urgent recycling saw Best plunge over in the corner.

With the hard work seemingly done, Canterbury lost concentration in those opening minutes of the second half, conceding another penalty goal to Burr and a try to wing Macolm Billings after a rare break and good handling by the home backs.

Martyn Beaumont was the architect of the city recovery, threading his way through mid-field to send livewire flanker Ryan Ward over for the try. At the start of the final quarter the fight back was complete.. The Canterbury backs, handling swilfty and accurately down the right flank, made an overlap try for Charlie Harding and Best’s second conversion, this one from wide out, briefly pushed his side into a one-point lead..

Burr snatched it back with his third successful penalty kick but the second penalty try awarded in the match proved decisive. Canterbury rolled from a lineout, a desperate Southend pulled down the maul illegally and Best was left an easy conversion.

It wasn’t over yet. With the game in stoppage time Southend were inches from glory as their forwards battered at the city line, but held on to the ball too long and were penalised. The nail biting for the city men and their great travelling support, was over.

Canterbury: M.Beaumont (repl A.Moss), R.Mackintosh, C.Harding, A.Veale, M.Rosvall, T.Best, D.Smart, J,Green (repl (R.McLeod), N.Wakefield (repl S.Rogers), A.Wake-Smith, R.Cadman, T.Burns (repl C.Hinkins), T.Sherson, R.Ward, A. Cathcart