TOBY Mendes scored the game-winning try as Stratford-upon-Avon RFC earned a hard-fought 20-17 victory away at Kenilworth.
Mendes dove over at the death after Andy Oliver scored the away side’s first try while Dan Whitby added 10 points from the kicking tee at Glasshouse Lane.
And the result means Stratford sit sixth in the Regional 2 Midlands West table.
The visitors scored the game’s first try from a three-on-two scenario as Whitby’s cutout pass found Oliver who dotted down in the corner as the former kicked the extras from near the touchline.
However, Kenilworth levelled the game soon after when a penalty kicked to touch gave the hosts a lineout five metres from the line and the home side forced their way over the line.
Stratford reclaimed the lead as Whitby slotted a penalty between the posts after Oliver produced a 50-22 kick.
A high tackle saw Kenilworth penalised again as Whitby kicked a second penalty only for the home side to close the gap back to three points with a successful kick of their own.
And the home side took the lead at the break when Kenilworth pounced on a loose ball at a defensive linout close to the Stratford line to score their second try.
Stratford trailed by four points at the interval and lost a player to the sin-bin after the break for offside.
However, Kenilworth failed to make the most of the man advantage as Whitby took the ball to within a metre of the posts and Charlie Powell flung the ball to Mendes who gathered at his feet to dive over in the corner.
Whitby kicked another tricky conversion as Stratford held on in the remaining minutes to secure a first away win of the season.
Stratford are next in action against Old Halesonians on Saturday, October 4 with kick-off at 3pm at Pearcecroft.
