CLEVE won away at old rivals Keynsham thanks to a relentless second-half performance.
Keynsham looked well-prepared for the game and were surrounded by fans as their ground basked in the mid-March sunshine.
The game started with both teams keeping the ball well outside the red zone, before Keynsham slotted over a penalty.
Urged on by their crowd, they camped on Cleve’s line for 10 minutes until Cleve made an error and they went over to lead 8-0.
Cleve then lost Lewis Beer and brought on Matt Lane, who had an immediate impact.
After Cleve scored under the post, Archie Staples – kicking in the absence of Matt Jarvis – converted to bring them within a point but Keynsham immediately reacted, their winger scoring to make it 13- 7.
Cleve then went through a bad period of penalties and mistakes and, after a number of scrums, Keynsham moved the ball wide to score.
The second half saw a different Cleve, more determined and precise, and back to full strength.
Josh Davies scored under tremendous pressure to make it 18-14.
Matt Lane was making deep runs into Keynsham’s defensive line.
Keynsham scored to go 25-14 up but this did not affect Cleve’s mindset, as they relentlessly pursued the Keynsham try line.
A lineout, then catch and drive brought pressure on Keynsham’s try line that saw Cleve go over.
Another try came after Cleve moved the ball to the wing, bringing them to within a point of the hosts as they desperately fought for the win.
Keynsham, really under pressure, gave away a penalty which Archie put over to put Cleve in front, 27 to 25.
Cleve, now on top, scored a late try to make the final score Keynsham 25, Cleve 34, after a performance a veteran player in the stands described as outstanding.
The match followed a comfortable 61-7 home win over Royal Wootton Basset II, and a 36-10 home win over Witney.
Against Wootton Bassett Cleve opened the scoring after 5 minutes, with tries from Liam McGrath, Josh Davis, Matt Jarvis and Tom Gollop putting them 26-0 up at half time.
Theo Garnet and prop Steve Bush – following a 25m burst down the wing – scored before Cleve received a yellow and red card to go down to 13 players in the 65th minute.
They still scored three more tries, through Garnet, Will Warman and Lewis Beer. Jarvis converted all five second-half tries to take his points for the game to 21, before Wootton Basset scored a converted try at the death.
In February Cleve’s 2nd team edged out local rivals Yate 39–35 in a breathless, full-blooded contest that had everything from relentless defence to flowing attack, and late drama right up to the final whistle.
Cleve knew they were in for a battle from the outset as Yate started with intent, moving the ball sharply and testing the home side’s resolve, but Cleve’s defensive line refused to buckle.
After soaking up pressure deep in their own half, Cleve clawed their way upfield and the breakthrough finally came when Neil ‘Chuckie’ Evans went over for the first try of the afternoon.
From there, Cleve were in the ascendancy, stretching the Yate defence. Tries from Dan Allaker and Hatib Jeldin kept them firmly in control, with Oakley Gwyther delivering a man-of-the-match performance that embodied the afternoon.
But Yate emerged after the break with renewed intensity and struck three times in quick succession, turning the match into a knife-edge contest as tension gripped the Hayfields.
Cleve, however, showed the resolve that has become a hallmark of their season, returning to the disciplined defence, controlled phases and intelligent territory that have served them so well.
With the clock ticking down and the game in the balance, Cleve worked the ball wide after drawing in the Yate defence, found space in the corner and put Archie Walker over to seal the contest. The finish was met with a roar from the touchline, relief and celebration mixing in equal measure.
Steve Bateman and Jonathan O’Hara