A last-gasp try by prop Liam Hiles put Old Centralians in front and helped them secure a thrilling win at Longlevens on Saturday.

Joint skipper Harry Preece added the conversion to clinch a 37-34 victory and maintain their position in fifth spot in the 12-team Regional 2 Severn.

“It was the last play of the game,” said scrum-half Preece. “It was a pick-and-go. It was a really good win, a really topsy-turvy game. They went ahead, we went ahead, then they went ahead again.”

Hiles’ try was one of five scored by Old Centralians, who trailed 13-10 at half-time, with the pick scored by debutant second row Alfie Smith.

“He signed for us from Old Cryptians at Christmas, he played really well,” said Preece, who shares the captaincy duties with his half-back partner Wayne Mulhern.

And Smith was certainly in the right place at the right time for his try.

“We picked up a loose kick and counter-attacked," said Preece. “There was some good off-loading play between the forwards and Alfie ran it in from the 22.”

Smith’s second row partner Henry Harper was also among the try-scorers, as were winger Jevan Brown and centre Ross Hannaford, who scored in front of his dad Marcus, the former Gloucester scrum-half and captain.

The win completed the double for Old Centralians after they beat Longlevens 26-12 at the start of October.

They’d lost three of their previous five games and Preece, who is 30, said: “It was a much-needed win. We’d had a few tough games but it was nice to start the new year with a victory.”

And Old Centralians chairman Malcolm Price was just as pleased with the win.

“It was a great game,” he said. “The winning try came after some good play following a lineout close to their line.”

Tighthead Hiles was the hero, of course, but he wasn't the only one and Price was delighted with the performance of Alfie Smith saying: “He had a cracking game.”

Old Centralians host bottom-of-the-table Cheltenham on Saturday, while seventh-placed Longlevens travel to Thornbury.