National League Three South

Lydney 27, Blackheath 23

Around a thousand people watched this gripping and tension-packed encounter which was finally decided inside the final five minutes.

Blackheath's tremendous effort came to nought as Brett Scriven gathered from a huge Lydney drive at a scrum beneath the visitors posts to dive in for the winner.

The roar which followed was heard in the High Street and sent Lydney's one-eyed army happily on their way home. They love it when its close!

Blackheath's disappointment was measureable and understandable. They had to win to keep the pressure on for second place and the possibility of a promotion play-off. Likewise Lydney had to win to keep up their challenge.

But there are more huge battles to come.

The most important will be at home to North Walsham a week on Saturday.

They are now Lydney's biggest threat as they have the easiest of the season's remaining games while Lydney still have some tough nuts to crack.

"There are banana skins everywhere, but if we beat North Walsham we will be in the driving seat. We could even afford to lose a couple of games and still gain the play-off spot," said team manager Gordon Sargent.

He knows it will not be easy.

Weston-super-Mare this Saturday has the potential for a mishap; North Walsham the following week is a 'must win' and there are still hazardous trips to Tabard and Havant as well as local rivals Old Pats.

"The encouraging thing is that the ball is firmly in our court. We do not have to rely upon anyone else winning or losing. Our destiny is in our hands," said Sargent.

Lydney had to dig deep for this one.

At one stage they trailed 12 – 23 and, frankly, looked out of it.

"Importantly our crowd never got on their backs. Instead they urged the team on and it made the difference. In the end I thought we edged it overall as we had the upper hand in the final 15 minutes and made the pressure tell," said Sargent.

The two injured squadmen, lock Paul Kiely and scrum-half Dave Arnott, are expected back in action soon. Kiely is recovering quickly from a hand injury and could be playing within three weeks. Arnott's knee injury could be cleared up within days.

Sargent is urging supporters not to count their chickens.

"The players really appreciate the support they are getting. Supporters played a big part in Saturday's win and lifted the team when the game appeared to be slipping away. It was a huge fightback and, in the end, a deserved win," said Sargent.