Josh Booty claimed a hat-trick of tries as Whitstable completed their home Kent 2 programme with a comfortable win over Greenwich.

Player- coach Mal Graves admitted the game had an end- of- season feel about it but praised his players for sticking to their guns in hot conditions.

He said: “They say rugby is a physical game but as I said to the boys, it also presents a mental challenge, particularly on days like Saturday. The whole day had a summer feel about it and I said to them that on days like that you have to lift yourselves to do something.To their credit they scored some good tries but again we left a few points out there which has been a recurring theme this season and something we need to improve next season.”

James Garland and impressive fly- half Marck Olive both weighed in with two tries, while Tony Cairney and skipper Ben Cliff scored the others. Four were converted by Andrew Huey.

The Blues have lost just once at Reeves Way since the opening day – 47-29 to Footscray on March 11 – and Graves said it was good to finish their home campaign on a high.

He added: “We had a VPs’ lunch with 70 people upstairs, the under- 11s did a touch demonstration and formed a guard of honour when we came out. It was a good day.”

Whitstable lie third ahead of their final match of the campaign, away to runaway champions Old Gravesendians on Saturday, April 22.

Match report - Credit KM group