WESTCLIFF stayed top of the Regional Two Anglia table after a dramatic 22-19 win against title rivals Brentwood.

A last gasp drop goal from Greg Bannister secured an exciting victory for Westcliff at the Gables.

And Bannister felt it was a well-deserved win.

“It was a scrappy game, with a fair amount of scrums but I feel like we probably deserved the win,” said Bannister.

“We should have scored more in the first half but credit to Brentwood, they defended well and made it difficult for us.”

However, Westcliff were still able to find a way through, thanks to Bannister’s late intervention.

“It was good to kick it,” said Bannister.

“We had a penalty advantage which maybe takes a bit of pressure off it but still it was a first for me and something I will remember for a while.

“It was a pleasing win against another undefeated team but we will still have some stuff to work on and that’s the exciting bit for me.”

And coach Jimmy Rea also feels Westcliff still have plenty to work on.

“In the first 10 minutes we had sustained pressure which led to a try by Billy Morrant,” said Rea.

“A poor exit after this allowed Brentwood to exert pressure on us and a very well executed lineout set piece allowed them to equal the game.

“A few silly mistakes during the rest of the game meant we couldn’t get a foothold on the game as well as silly yellow cards.

“Discipline is still an issue but our resilience in defence showed.

“Banny’s unbelievable last minute drop goal was a sign of how far we have come as a team and how we can be smarter when it matters the most.”

Westcliff are now four points clear of second placed Eton Manor with Brentwood dropping to third after their dramatic defeat at the Gables.

Westcliff are without a fixture this weekend and return to action the following Saturday with a trip to eighth placed Woodford.