CATs clawed their way towards Southern Counties league safety on Saturday with a shock win over promotion-chasing Devizes at London Road.

Coach Mark Simmons said he was delighted with the victory which sees CATs leapfrog Wiltshire rivals Corsham in the battle to avoid the dreaded drop. He said: "It was a brilliant win. Devizes are a strong outfit but this was another good performance and it shows that confidence around the club is high.

"We managed to nullify the threat of their back row. We fancy our backs against anyone in the league at the moment so we made sure they got the ball at the right times. "I think Devizes had one eye on the South West league next season. After the game some of their committee members said they had blown their chance.

"It was important for us to move above Corsham because it's all very tight at the foot of the league." Two early penalties gave the Saddlebacks a 6-0 half time lead but CATs fought back after the interval.

A Scott Simmons penalty reduced the deficit to three points before wing Matthew Glower touched down. Simmons kicked the extras and Ben Dudridge deposited a drop goal to give CATs a 13-6 lead.

Simmons converted a Jeremy Flower try to open up a sizeable lead before back row Phil Spiers was stretched off the field with a broken leg and fractured ankle. CATs lost focus following the injury and Devizes crossed the line for a late consolation try.