COBHAM kicked off and immediately put pressure on the receiver, winning turnover ball to launch their back towards the line.

Great defending was let down as Gs were penalised for failing to release the player after the tackle.

The prolific points scorer, Tim Green made no mistake from the tee as he put the home side in front 3-0 after just two minutes.

From the restart the game was taken straight back to Gravesend’s ten metre line.

Securing turnover ball, Gs countered, winning the put in at a scrum as Cobham knocked-on at the breakdown.

Quick ball as Sox Stevens picked up at the base. His break wide made the room for scrum-half Clement to take the ball forward.

Drawing in the wide defenders his pass to Bishop went to hand and the young wing-three-quarter raced for the line from near half-way.

Outwitting the last defender he chased round to touch down.

Dorton’s kick taken wide by the breeze the score moved to 3-5, inside the first six minutes.

There followed ten minutes of too and fro as errors came from both XVs, before Green made the most of his second chance, when G’s again failed to release at the point of tackle, as he put over a well struck penalty for 6-5.

The referee gave no favour as he continued to penalise both sets of back-row for not rolling away at the tackle, and Dorton duly obliged with a well placed kick to regain the lead 6-8.

Gravesend’s pack, ably led by skipper Forsythe were keeping Cobham on the back foot, but their want to go that extra metre was not helping the cause.

Hussey, Stevens and Clement were putting in some huge hits, as the home side tried to break around the fringes, gaining some good second phase possession.

Stalemate seemed to be the order of the day until Moorey broke through the centre and as he was taken out with a smother tackle he got the ball away to Saunders.

As he was held up, Matt Clement backing up took his half pass to run in from thirty-five metres.

This score moved the advantage on as Gs were ahead 6-13 at the interval.

With Gravesend’s dominance up front, Cobham failed to threaten their line as they were contained to play in the middle of the park.

Thirty minutes of power play as Gs dominated the line-outs through Abbey and Stevens rose high at the throw-in.

Clement made way for Harman in the back-row and Cobham soaked up continued waves of attack but all there was to show for this dominance was a lone Dorton penalty as the play was again strewn with errors.

Of the home forwards, Du Plessis, Saddler and Johnson were prominent but had little support.

While half-backs Taylor and MacCullum struggled to get their threes away on any positive attacks, as they were allowed little room for manoeuvre.

Cobham had no answers to the driving Gs forwards and were given no quarter from the hard hitting backs as the quickly closed the home side down.

A reasonable share of the ball but no room to play saw the frustration begin to show in the home play.

Good breaks up the wings by Bishop and Curley as they linked with the looping Gray came to nothing. But it was the cover tackles from both Saunders and Moorey that closed down the home backs, preventing any break-outs.

Another big hit from No 8 Stevens saw him get the worse of the contact and after several minutes was helped from the pitch to be replaces by Warner.

When the ball went into touch ten metres from the home line, the ball was tapped down by Saddler, Harman was quickest through the line and seized his opportunity to take the loose ball over for Gs third try of the afternoon.

Dorton’s kick added the points for 6-23 with six minutes remaining.

Credit must go to the home XV as they never gave up looking for an opening, but Gravesend were playing at the top of their game which showed why they are league leaders.

It was this constant pressure that earned them the final score of the day as Dorton added another penalty to draw away 6-26 at the final whistle.

With Dover slipping up away at Wimbledon, going down 11-5, Gs ease to a five point comfort zone. Cobham remain in third, eight points adrift with Sidcup a further three back.

Today’s team: Dorton, A Bishop, Saunders, Moorey, Curley, Gray, J Clement, White, Papworth, Forsythe, Z Stevens, Abbey, M Clement , Hussey, Stevens. Reps: Warner, Harman, T Bishop Next week Wimbledon at home, kick-off 2.30.