Jersey Reds: Harvey Biljon hopes for response after 23-10 defeat by Ealing Trailfinders

Harvey Biljon's Jersey Reds dropped to fourth in the Championship after defeat by Ealing

Jersey Reds boss Harvey Biljon said his side will need to pick themselves up and be ready to go again after losing 22-10 to Championship promotion contenders Ealing Trailfinders.

Reds led 10-9 at the interval but Ealing scored 13 unanswered points in the second half to claim the win.

"It's a tough result to take after putting ourselves in a great position," Biljon told BBC Radio Jersey.

"But the challenge now will be to step up and go again next week."

Jersey came into the game at St Peter in second place but victory for Ealing, who were surprisingly beaten by Bedford last week, saw them leapfrog their opponents and move to within three points of leaders Doncaster with two games in hand.

Reds drop to fourth but can reignite their own play-off hopes when they travel to third-placed Cornish Pirates next week.

"We have to be ready for that challenge now," Biljon added. "There will be a lot of learning from our second-half performance today.

"In the conditions, I thought we could put a lot more pressure on Ealing after the break.

"But for whatever reason, the 50-50s, the decisions, the bounce of the ball, all those things went their way today."

First-half tries from hooker Eoghan Clarke, under a rolling maul, and centre Jordan Holgate, with an intercept, saw Jersey take the advantage playing into strong wind.

But Craig Willis scored three penalties for Ealing in the first half, eventually finishing with 17 points, as he added two more penalties and converted a mauled try by Jan-Henning Campher after the break.