BASINGSTOKE RFC director of rugby James Croker was left disappointed after watching his side fail to take maximum points from their home game against London One South basement side Old Colfeians.

’Stoke won Saturday’s game at Down Grange 20-5 but missed out on the four-try bonus point and lost ground on the league’s top two as a result.

Driving rain played a part in Basingstoke’s failure to put winless Old Colfeians to the sword, turning the match into a war of attrition.

The hosts led 6-0 at half-time, thanks to a pair of Ashley Paterson penalties, and had their best spell of the match early in the second half – Will Ford and Paterson going over to extend the lead to 20 points. However, they were unable to build on this and it was the visitors who scored the final try of the match.

Basingstoke remain third in the table – but the gap between them and second-placed Chichester is up to five points.

Croker said: “We wanted the bonus point and we have not got it so ,we are disappointed. Will it be crucial? We will see at the end of the season.

“In those sort of conditions, errors are going to happen – but I was disappointed with the way we reacted to them. In the first half, the players looked like they thought the world was against them because it was not going their way.

“The main thing, though, is that we won. We are a better team than we showed today but we did get the win.”

See the latest edition of the Gazette for a full report.