Brighton may have finished the season nearer the foot of London Three South East than the summit but Gary Henderson is confident they can turn the tables next season.

A 34-8 home defeat against play-off bound Sevenoaks in their final game on Saturday saw Brighton finish in ninth place but head of rugby Henderson has seen enough over the final few weeks of the campaign to predict a brighter future.

Wins over Aylesford, Gravesend and Charlton Park in the final third of the season prove Brighton are moving in the right direction on the field while developments off it are also cause for optimism.

A new third-generation astro-turf pitch will be layed over the summer while an academy for 16 to 19-year-olds in conjunction with Varndean College is due to be launched next season.

Henderson said: "It was a disappointing scoreline to end the season on but Sevenoaks showed why they are near the top of the table so we weren't too down-hearted.

"The way we have finished the season suggests it is looking good for next year. Our position in the table may not be anything to shout about but we were bottom last season so we will be hoping to continue that improvement.

"We have done a lot of rebuilding on and off the pitch over the past few years and we are now starting to see the benefits. The youth section is run well and players are filtering through in to the senior team.

"The astro-turf pitch will allow us to do quality training all-year round and will attract new people to the club while we hope the academy will produce some first team players over time.

"Our aim next season will be to finish in the top three. That may seem a big jump but the difference between the teams in this division is only marginal.

"A lot depends on how strong your squad is and we have suffered this season with injuries and unavailable players. If we can add a few players over the summer and bring a couple more through from the colts, then I am confident we can do well."

Will Smith is one colt who has made the step up and did well against Sevenoaks.

Brighton were overpowered in the end though and only had a try from James Williams and a conversion and penalty from Mark Gibbs to show for their efforts.

Bognor finished as top-dogs of the three Sussex teams in London Three South East thanks to a 52-25 home win over Tonbridge Juddians which left them in fourth place.

Chichester also ended on a high note with a 13-6 win at Folkestone to finish sixth courtesy of an Alex Knight-Barnard try which was converted by Nick Stanton along with his two penalties.

Lewes skipper Dave Hemsley believes his side could be outsiders for promotion from London Two next season after they blew champions Barnes away on the final day.

Tries from Mark Griffiths (2), Scott Patto (2) and Tom Saunders secured a 31-7 victory at the Stanley Turner Ground as Lewes ended the campaign in sixth place with four wins in their last six games.

Hemsley said: "They probably weren't as strong as when we played them at the start of the season be-cause there was nothing riding on the game but we played them off the park in the first half.

"That shows we have no one to fear in this league next season and will be making a big push for a high finish. Promotion might be asking too much but I wouldn't rule it out."

Hove triumphed 39-26 against hosts East Grinstead in the plate final at the 48th Sunshine Sevens tournament on Sunday.