Despite going 3-0 down early on, first half tries from Joe Govett (two), Joe Launchbury and Matt McLean put Raiders in control at the break, before a strong defensive performance throughout the second half, combined with late tries from Govett, for his hat-trick, Ben Dudley and Jack Maslen completed the win.

Green said: "We played very well and it was very pleasing.

"We got a couple of late tries but defended very well in the second half and put the pressure on them. Our fitness told in the end, it has definitely helped us this year as you've got to be fit to play the game.

"The first half was probably the best we've played this season. It was very pleasing as it shows the amount of hard work we've been putting in."

It was the perfect revenge for Raiders, who lost 30-13 at Richmond earlier in the season, despite probably deserving more from that match.

Green added: "We knew we had played well up their but just gave away too much of the ball at times, which cost us."

Although it was largely one way traffic with the Raiders pressing forward for most of the game, it was an early counter attack by the London side that earned them a penalty from which they gained a three point lead through Matt Hart on Saturday.

From then on, Raiders lived up to their name, though it was not so much raiding as camping in Richmond's half.

It was left-winger Govett who opened the scoring with an excellent fly hack down the touchline, which he followed up to fall on the ball.

For a while, the Worthing pack seemed sluggish, and too slow to the breakdown, but they were quickly on hand to shove Launchbury over for the second try, when his run had been stopped five yards out.

It was on the back of territory won by the forwards, especially sniping runs by the back row, that full-back McLean was able to weave from halfway, crossfield into the corner, to score.

The first half ended 24-3 in Worthing's favour, with another try coming from Govett's piercing run.

Raiders began the second half with an attack and Richmond looked outplayed. But suddenly came Richmond's best spell of the game as Worthing started to give away penalties.

The visitors began to throw everything at the Raiders, but then errors started to creep into their game.

Inaccurate line-out throwing gave the hosts a chance to break, and the Worthing defence was sound.

As the visitors pressed up to try to go on the attack in the last five minutes, Govett and Dudley were each able to scoop up dropped balls and sprint half the length of the field for tries under the posts. Then substitute Jack Maslen broke loose and scored another before time was up.

Green is now looking to build on the result in what will be an interesting clash at home to Shelford, who sit just above Worthing in the table, on Saturday.

He said: "It's a crucial game. It's okay to be beating teams below as that is what a league is there to do. But it's about trying to beat the teams around and above you — that's when it really counts."

WORTHING: McLean, Walker, Sullivan, Dunckley, Govett, Dudley, Costigan, Halsey, Pointing, Bennett, Launchbury, McGowan, Arthur, Redmayne, Taulava. Subs: Maslen, Smith, Marsh, Bruce, Cleveland.

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Email the Herald: steve.bailey@worthingherald.co.uk