Clifton 37 Bournemouth 20

JOHN Barnes kicked eight goals as Clifton maintained their 100 per cent start to the season and climbed to the top of South West One.

The player-coach and fly-half finished with a 22-point haul from six penalties and two conversions and guided his side around the park with some fine touch-finding kicks.

But Clifton rarely hit top gear, made several unforced errors and gave away many penalties in the victory against fourth-placed Bournemouth.

The hosts missed the controlling influence of their captain and scrum-half Dan Frost, who was a late withdrawal due to a neck injury.

But Clifton now lead the division following Redingensians's 27-10 defeat at Cheltenham-based Old Patesians.

Barnes kicked the hosts 6-0 ahead with two penalties, while wing James Payne replied with a penalty.

But the visitors grabbed a try from the first clean break of the match, when centre Tim Gray came back on the angle to score. Payne converted.

Barnes replied with a penalty but that was cancelled out by another Payne effort.

Clifton opened their try account on 31 minutes when flanker Phil Schmid seized on a loose Sam Hardcastle pass and dived over. Barnes converted.

But the hosts were lucky to be ahead at the break – they had Schmid sent to the sin bin, and Payne missed two kickable penalties.

To rub salt into Bournemouth's wounds, Clifton finished the half with an excellent team try.

Good work by wing Sam Smee released centre Steve Leonard, full-back David Rees took on the last defender and No 8 John Levis was in support to dive over.

After the break, Bournemouth's were lucky not to concede a penalty try when Hardcastle pulled back Levis when the No 8 was trying to pounce on a loose ball over the Bournemouth line.

Hardcastle was sent to the sin bin and Barnes landed the resulting penalty to extend Clifton's lead to 24-13 on 48 minutes.

Four minutes later, Bournemouth were reduced to 13 men when Jayson Kenny was yellow-carded, Barnes again landing the penalty that resulted from the infringement.

On 52 minutes, Clifton clinched their third try when Levis went over after receiving a flat pass from scrum-half Ollie Sills. Barnes converted.

But Clifton took their foot off the pedal despite Bournemouth losing another player to the sin bin when fly-half Ngapaku Ngpapaku was yellow-carded for a swinging arm on 57 minutes.

The south coast outfit were still one player short on 67 minutes when hooker Dan Cawley burrowed over, Payne converting. But any thoughts of a comeback were dismissed with three minutes to go, when Barnes slotted a penalty.