"WE'RE really pleased, we targeted this game for a long time, we started training back in June which seems a long way away now," said Redruth's new head coach Nigel Hambly after the Reds' first ever win at Goddington Dene after five previous failures.

"It was important to win today, but it is the first game of the season. There is a long way to go, we are not getting carried away," he added as his side take the maximum five points back to the Recreation Ground.

"We made things pretty hard for ourselves at times with unforced errors, but to be fair it was the first game of the season. The heat made it difficult to play out there. Some of the players suffered, but the hard fitness work we put in during pre-season paid off today, everyone gave everything they had," he said.

The turning point came midway through the second half when referee Mark Vernon lost patience with Redruth's repeated infringements and dispatched Darren Jacques to the sin bin.

"We regrouped and stepped up a gear. Richard Carroll was a huge influence, he has added some steel to our pack, the players take notice of what he says, and it is the same with Neil Douch when he came off the bench.

"This is a game we would probably have lost a couple of seasons ago". Equally Hambly was well aware that there is still a lot of work to do: "We have a number of new players and it takes time for them to settle in."

In swealtering heat in south London, Redruth took the lead with a try by Nathan Pedley after four minutes and never gave it up.

Scrum half Alan Knuckey was a livewire for the home side, twice going close to tries, but both Mark Garfoot and Wessell Wolmarans missed with penalty kicks as Westcombe failed to take their chances.

The Kiwi, James Lancaster, despite limited pre-season training had another important game. His burst from the back of a ruck led to the Reds' second try touched down by new skipper John Navin after 15 minutes.

At times the Redruth backs looked in tremendous form and Bede Brown and Craig Bonds carved the home defence apart for Pedley to touch down his second try after 34 minutes.

A try in first half injury time by flanker Nathan Peters converted by Garfoot brought the home side back into the game when they trailed 12-19 at the interval.

Early in the second half Scrivener and his opposite number Wessell Wolmarans exchanged penalties as the result was in doubt at this stage. Wolmarans reduced the lead to four points after Jacques' departure to the sin bin. Westcome looked to have two golden chances, but the Reds' scrambling defence was determined as they clung on to the lead.

The reliable place kicking of Scrivener was crucial to the Reds' cause. He kicked two penalties while they were down to 14 men to restore a 10 point advantage. Scrivener finished with 15 points from his trusty right boot that kept the scoreboard ticking over.

As the game wore on Redruth were taking greater control of the game with Brown was twice close to scores on two occasions before he put Paul Thirlby in for the Reds fourth try to claim a bonus point in injury time.