CHINNOR returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 28-20 victory at home to Canterbury.

Tries from Chris Elder, Dan Southworth, Nick Selway and Willie Ryan helped the Oxfordshire side to a

bonus-point success in wet and windy conditions.

The result took Chinnor up to seventh in National League 1 and within three points of third-placed Blackheath.

The home side gained the lead on ten minutes when Ofisa Treviranus’s fine flat pass sent Elder gliding across, Laurence May converting.

Canterbury levelled midway through the half as Tristan King was driven over, before Dan Smart added the extras.

Chinnor quickly restored their advantage through Southworth, May converting in front of the posts.

But the visitors, who are bottom of the division on four points, went into the break leading 15-14, thanks to a William Scholes try and a Smart penalty.

Chinnor improved after half-time and Selway touched down following a driving maul, May converting, to make it 21-15 after 48 minutes.

But a lapse in concentration saw Canterbury close to within a point thanks to an unconverted Ricky Mackintosh try.

Chinnor were undeterred and secured the four-try bonus-point when Ryan plunged across at the back of a scrum, May adding the extras again.

The game ended on a sour note when Chinnor’s Ben Thomas and Canterbury’s Sean Stapleton were both red-carded for foul play.

Henley Hawks closed to within two points of the top of National League 2 South with a battling 26-15 victory at Westcliff.

Three tries put the Oxfordshire side firmly in control by half-time as they dashed their opponents’ hopes of a late comeback to return from Essex with a

bonus-point win.

Henley raced into a 19-0 lead after half an hour, with Sam Lunnon, Ewan Fenley and Ben Bolster all touching down, the latter adding two conversions.

It took the hosts until the 33rd minute to get on the scoreboard, as a driving maul resulted in an unconverted try.

A penalty on the stroke of half-time reduced the deficit to 11 points, with Westcliff missing another kick shortly after the restart.

Henley appeared to be keeping the hosts at arm’s length, but a try with 15 minutes remaining threatened to change everything.

Westcliff broke from the halfway line to cross for a converted score and slash the gap to just four points.

The home side could have further piled the pressure on soon after, but they failed to take advantage of another penalty.

And they paid the price, as Lunnon crossed again to deliver the bonus point, before Bolster kicked his third conversion of the afternoon.