Telford Raiders 12 Bristol Sonics 20: Two late tries from stand-in skipper James Gross helped Bristol Sonics earn a dramatic 20-12 win at Telford Raiders on Saturday.

Stand-off Gross, deputising for absent skipper Dom Swann, struck in the 71st and 78th minutes to give the Sonics their third straight Midlands Premier victory.

In a tight, forward-dominated contest, both defences were on top for the majority of the match, with flashes of individual brilliance deciding a physical and at times brutal contest marred by controversy.

It was Neil Holder who gave the Sonics the perfect start, surging through the Raiders line on 13 minutes before touching down beneath the sticks. Scrum-half Joel Keane added the extras to give Bristol a 6-0 lead.

As the first half wore on, Bristol continued to give away silly penalties and drop the ball in poor areas. It was only a matter of time before Telford took advantage, prop Gavin Williams barging his way over in the 35th minute. Crucially, the kick was missed, giving Bristol a slender 6-4 half-time lead.

Telford started the second period the better and livewire winger Ryan Evans showed good speed to outsprint Bristol's cover and dive in at the corner. The kick was again missed.

As both sets of players began to tire, cracks started appearing and the game started to open up. Bristol hooker Harry Marson, prop Chris Carter and loose forward Wes Rogers continued to impress with ball in hand, while the new half back combination of Keane and skipper James Gross started to click for the first time in the match.

It was the combination of these two that set up Bristol's next score, from full-back Graham Hargreaves. Keane added the conversion to give Bristol a 12-8 lead.

The home side hit back through Parminder Tutt. Again, the kick was missed with the scores level.

A charging run from Chris Carter on the left then set up the position for Keane to spin the ball wide to James Gross on 72 minutes.

The Sonics stalwart used his feet brilliantly, outfoxing some tiring defenders to touch down wide right.

Keane narrowly missed the conversion, but Bristol had a vital four-point lead.

With just two minutes left to play, Gross popped up wide on the right again to bag his second try and secure a vital win for title-chasing Bristol.

Sonics coach Karl Fearnley said: "That wasn't the best performance we've put in, but I'm impressed with the way the lads kept their composure in the final minutes. We had to work very hard for the win.

"Defensively we didn't give them much, which is satisfying, and although our attack lacked shape, we had enough individual skill to secure the points. We'll have to play far better than that against Derby next week."