Rugby: Tunbridge Wells return to winning ways on the road

TUNBRIDGE WELLS recovered from three successive defeats in London & South-East Premier Division with a performance full of their usual character.
The visitors were soon dominating play and territory but did not make it count and after 11 minutes the home winger Kyren Ghumra intercepted and went the length of the field to score a converted try.
Within a minute, though, Wells had replied as skipper Ryan Taylor-Dennehy, restored to full-back, chipped over the defence for Jake Caddy to score on the left.
The visitors continued to dominate in the scrum and breakdown but it took until the 26th minute for a penetrative run from Mike Doherty to earn a penalty which Frank Reynolds kicked.
Sam Hurley kicked another penalty as Wells strayed offside to retake the lead and then Wells were guilty of giving the ball away again near the Sutton & Epsom [S&E] line.
Ghumra needed no prompting to sprint the length of the pitch again and increase the home side’s lead at the break to 15-8.
But they had not breached the Wells defence in open play and the away team went into the second half in confident mood.
Five minutes after the restart, Caddy threatened the home line in the corner but fell victim to a high tackle and the referee signalled a penalty try to level the scores.
S&E hit back shortly with a penalty from Hurley but by then it was one-way traffic as the visitors dominated possession and position.
On 56 minutes, Wells’ new winger Richard Murray took a high ball and fed wide as Mike Doherty carved an arc to the line, taking the try under the posts. Reynolds converted to put them four points ahead.
Wells continued to pin S&E in their own half and turn over the ball, and Mike Hathaway took a fine line from deep to power over under the posts for the try bonus point.
Reynolds converted on 75 minutes to put Wells out of reach but there was still time for George Montgomery to slot a low drop goal to seal a 18-32 win over the fifth-placed side.
Wells, who move up to tenth place, now host Tring on Saturday [October 27, kick-off 3pm].