By Adam Hookway

Tonbridge Juddians tasted defeat for the first time this season after Birmingham Moseley ended their perfect start with a 35-26 win in National League 1.

Birmingham took the game by the scruff of the neck early on, scoring three converted tries in the first 15 minutes as TJs gave away both penalties and ground.

When they did finally get ball in hand they were able to exert their own pressure to send the ball wide and left where Sam Morton Smith kicked past his opposite number before regathering to score.

Harrison Sims reduced the arrears further when he bulldozed over to make it 21-12 and it felt like Judds could find a way back into the game if they could keep the penalty count in check and hold onto the ball a bit more.

Birmingham, though, had other ideas and scored a fourth try for the bonus point, with the two-point top-up, to end the half strongly.

The second period struggled to ignite as both sides cancelled each other out. It wasn’t until the final quarter that Juddians found some reserves of energy, Oscar Waite forcing his way over after Birmingham had repelled several other efforts to get over the line.

Trailing by nine, it looked like the visitors might produce one of their nail-biting finishes when Birmingham were reduced to 14 and Connor Lloyd darted over to make it 28-26.

But Birmingham weren’t in the mood to let the game slip and as Tonbridge failed to clear their lines the hosts created a final try from an attacking scrum to seal victory, the away side making do with a try bonus point.

TJs, now four points behind leaders Plymouth Albion, return to The Slade on Saturday against 11th-spot Bury St Edmunds.