A dogged defensive performance from the visitors and an immaculate display of goal kicking from Kieran Hill saw them to a vital league win, despite playing 35 minutes with just 14-men.

Clevedon trailed 3-0 at the turnaround, largely thanks to some inspired and resilient tackling, which repelled the home side time and time again, despite them enjoying long periods of territory and possession.

Cameron Maslen touched down for the only try of the game early in the second half, before Hill fired over a conversion and four penalties in wet and windy conditions.

Wells opened the scoring with a penalty on five minutes and could have doubled and then tripled their lead with two further penalties, which drifted wide of the posts.

The away side were reduced to 14-men just ten minutes in, when Kieran Hill was sent to the sin-bin for an alleged trip – and just as he returned the field, hooker Matt Honour replaced him on the side line following an offside infringement.

Down to 14-men for 20 minutes, Clevedon scrapped hard to keep the home side out, with some bone-crunching tackles from Harvey Russell and Dean Ashfield ensuring the score line remained in single figures.

Now playing against the slope, but with the wind, Clevedon began to gain a foothold in the game, and after replacement Mike Lowis had been put away down the left-hand side by Ashfield, his offload found the supporting Maslen to canter in from ten metres. Hill added the conversion from the touchline, before his goal kicking took centre stage.

Clevedon continued to dominate possession and territory and Hill sent a penalty - from a similar position to his conversion – flying through the centre of the posts to give his side a 10-3 lead.

Minutes later, Clevedon were back in the Wells 22 and Hill again made the hosts pay for some ill-discipline with another expertly struck kick, before repeating the feat from straight in front to extend Clevedon’s lead to 16-3 on the hour mark.

The visitors then suffered a setback when scrum-half Josh Mortimore was shown a red card for illegal use of the boot, leaving his side a man down for the final 15 minutes.

But a fourth Hill penalty settled the nerves and Clevedon held on for a vital league win, to go seven points clear of the bottom three, with one game in hand.

They travel to North Petherton on Saturday - 2.30pm kick-off at Beggars Brook.