COVENTRY RFC claimed a narrow 22-18 win away at Richmond as Alex Rae’s side secured a fifth successive league win to seal an impressive third-place finish.
Tries from Will Lane, Josh Bainbridge and James Martin helped Coventry to victory as Evan Mitchell kicked two conversions and Will Talbot-Davies added a late penalty at Richmond Athletic Ground.
The result means Coventry have finished the season in third place with two matches still to play.
And Coventry opened the scoring with the game’s first try on 17 minutes when Lane burst through a gap in the Richmond defence to finish under the posts as Mitchell converted.
The visitors scored their second try just 10 minutes later as Bainbridge collected Tom Dodd’s offload and dotted down with the score again converted by Mitchell.
Richmond finally troubled the scoreboard on 34 minutes as Alex Post emerged with the ball following a rolling maul from a five-metre lineout and Bill Johnston kicked the extras.
And the home side reduced the deficit to four points on 51 minutes when Johnston kicked a penalty after Coventry were penalised inside their own 22.
However, Martin scored the game’s decisive try on 62 minutes as the Coventry man won a footrace to the try line to touch down in the corner although the conversion drifted wide.
Richmond reduced the deficit to six points through an Alex Burrage penalty on 73 minutes before Zuriel
Makele intercepted a pass and went the length of the pitch to score just two minutes later.
However, Burrage was unable to kick the conversion to leave Coventry a single point ahead before Talbot-Davies slotted a 79th minute penalty to ensure Alex Rae’s side went home with the points.
Coventry are next in action at home to Nottingham on Saturday, April 22 with kick-off at 3pm at Butts Park Arena.
