By David Haigh

A goalkicking masterclass by Frank Reynolds underpinned a 39-22 victory for Canterbury as they took the National League 2 East spoils from a typically physical Kent derby against Westcombe Park.

Fly-half Reynolds ended the day with 29 points, made up of six penalty goals, three conversions and a try for good measure. It was not all about one man, however, as the pressure piled on the visitors in the second half by the impressive city side gave Reynolds the chance to really put the boot in.

After reaching the break the with a slender three-point lead Canterbury were able to control and contain in equal measure, score a further 19 points and restrict the visitors to a solitary late try. This was a more disciplined performance after the trials of the previous week against Havant and this time it was Combe who were often on the wrong end of the referee's whistle.

Two yellow cards cost them points in the first half, although they opened the scoring with a Toby Wallace penalty goal. It might have been more but for Reynolds announcing himself with a try-saving tackle on scrum-half Mikel Davies.

Reynolds’ first penalty levelled matters and Canterbury then built a healthy 17-3 lead. Tyler Oliver completed a strong close-quarter drive by the pack and when the visitors found themselves down to 13 players, with Kyan Braithwaite and Sam Fombo in the sin-bin, Reynolds darted over between the posts.

It was Canterbury's over-ambition that brought the visitors back into contention when they turned over ball and full-back Wallace went 60m for a converted try. There was another Reynolds penalty goal, but on the cusp of half-time Presley Farrance's deliberate knock-on earned him a yellow card and from the penalty an efficient catch and drive ended in a Fombo try.

That, for long periods, was the last seen of Westcombe as an attacking force as Canterbury, with the breeze and slope in their favour, took control. The penalty count grew and Reynolds landed two more before a third try took them 16 points clear.

It was a good one, too. They spread the ball wide to the left, gave Garry Jones space to accelerate outside the defence and his inside pass saw Frank Morgan hold off all pursuers. Two more Reynolds penalties, five minutes apart, sealed the game before Nick Cook's try gave Combe the last word.

Neither side managed a try bonus point but this win lifted Canterbury to fourth place ahead of Saturday’s visit to unbeaten leaders Tonbridge Juddians.

Canterbury: Heatherley, Jones, Morgan, Waddington, Moss, Reynolds, Farrance, Frostick, O'Donoghue, Herriott, Irvine, Stephens, Thomas, Mackenzie, Oliver. Replacements: Morris, Kenny, Huntley, Young, Williams.