National 2 South
Two tries from Christoph Bart helped leaders Henley Hawks to a stuttering 32-27 victory at Westcombe Park.
Hawks have now taken a maxium 20 points from their four games.
But this was far from the fluent display they produced in despatching visitors Clifton the previous week.
Westcombe struck first with a try from wing Kieran Leeper.
But Henley levelled on nine minutes when fly half Tom Allen scored and converted his own try.
The hosts had scrum half Gideon Roux sin-binned before Bart notched the first of his brace.
Lock John Wright’s try meant Henley led just 12-10 at the break, by which time they had lost prop Ant Brennan and flanker Adam Holloway to injury.
Brennan’s replacement Alex Penny bagged a 45th-minute try before Luke Giles and Allen traded penalties.
Hawks went 25-13 up when Allen converted Bart’s second try.
But Giles’s conversion of his own try kept Westcombe in the game.
Carson, who had replaced Holloway, scored Henley’s bonus-point try on 73 minutes.
But there was still time for Giles to convert a score from No 8 and former Chinnor man Zane Win-slade.
Henley will need to up their game when they host big-spending second-placed Jersey at Dry Leas on Saturday.
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