Diss stay top of table

After a hard-fought encounter which could have gone either way, Diss recorded their seventh league victory in a row to maintain their 100pc record and stay top of the table.

Once again full-back Chris Beaird achieved a perfect record with the boot, converting all four penalties. However, this was the second week in succession that the side failed to score a try.

The game started well for Diss, with the forwards assuming a dominant position in both scrum and line-out. But despite good possession and territory this could not be turned into points.

In a game that was punctuated throughout by the referee's whistle, it was Diss who were again conceding the lion's share of the penalties.

It was Diss who took the lead when, in the seventh minute, a Westcliff player was caught going in at the side and Beaird confidently converted his first penalty.

Scrum-half Pete Chartier was then carded for not releasing in the tackle and Diss were forced to re-organise, with Warren Wilby moving in from the wing.

Westcliff took the lead after turning over Diss possession. The ball was quickly fed out to their centre Rob Smith who outpaced the Diss defence to score a simple try, which he then converted.

When Diss were restored to full strength they once again started to mount a series of promising attacks. But this was not to last, as the home side were once again reduced to 14 players after flanker Mike Fuller was shown a yellow card for going in at the side. With half-time rapidly approaching, a Diss attack was halted by blatant obstruction from a Westcliff player and the home side were awarded a penalty which Beaird coolly converted. Half-time arrived with Westcliff hanging on to a one-point lead.

Weather conditions soon deteriorated and both sides found handling difficult. Diss mounted the more frequent attacks, forcing Westcliff to defend for prolonged periods.

The visitors held firm and had a spell of pressure themselves, with successive try saving tackles by Alex Kelsall and Adam Williamson keeping them out.

As the game reached its latter stages, Diss mounted a series of attacks. In their desperation to defend, Westcliff conceded a penalty on their 22 after being caught offside and Beaird proved cool under pressure to convert and restore the Diss lead. The home attacks continued and Westcliff conceded another penalty deep in their own half, when one of their players went off his feet. Beaird stepped up to convert his kick, making light of the conditions.

This proved to be the final score in a game which had little to delight the purist, but the result confirms Diss as league leaders for a further week. Diss 12, Westcliff 7.