Medway knocked Regional 2 South East leaders Battersea off top spot with a 28-24 win in their penultimate game of the season.

The victory was Medway’s seventh in a row and second over their London hosts this season after a 37-20 win at Priestfields in December.

Battersea struck first, though, their fly-half making the most of a gap to elude the cover defence and cross the whitewash. He added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

It was all square with 15 minutes on the clock. After the visitors won a penalty Jack Johnson kicked for the corner, lock Jordan Stubbington secured possession, skipper Antony Clement almost made it through before offloading to scrum-half Ben Dance to touch down, with Johnson converting.

Battersea retook the lead with their rolling maul increasing the pressure in the 25th minute for another converted score, but back came Medway and good work from Jona Hyde, Tom Beaumont, Todd Johnson and Max Bullock was finished off by Stubbington with Johnson again converting.

The final word of the half came from Battersea, who opted for the posts on the stroke of half-time with a penalty.

No additions were made to the scoreboard until Battersea’s fly-half chipped before collecting the ball and diving over the line. He kicked the conversion for a 10-point lead with 13 minutes remaining.

That was as good as it got for them, though, and with five minutes left Medway’s player-of-the-day, Jack Nickalls, smashed into the home defence to set up John Sipawa who did the rest, touching down in the corner. Johnson held his nerve to move the visitors within three.

Sean Marriott then put Medway ahead, carrying two men with him, after the away side kept knocking on the door following a deep kick. Once more Johnson added the extras to wrap up the spoils.

Third-place Medway host new pacesetters Old Alleyians in their final fixture of the campaign on April 6.