BASINGSTOKE RFC lost ground in their bid for the London One South play-off spot by failing to gain a four-try bonus point away at Dover on Saturday.

After scoring their third try of the match at the start of the second-half they began chasing the fourth try, losing their shape and pattern in the process, much to the disappointment of director of rugby James Croker.

“We played for the bonus point and not the performance in the second-half,” Croker said. “We made mistakes at crucial times and in the wrong areas, particularly in the strike zone.”

Neither side was helped by the referee, who seemed to struggle with the pace of the game. This led to some feisty moments and both sides had two players yellow carded. All four were for technical infringements, with three of them playing at fly-half when they were sent to the sin-bin.

Croker added: “While the referee did spoil the game as a spectacle, with both sides getting equally frustrated, we should have held on to the ball and played through phases, rather than rushing things.

“That said we still came away with a win, which is not easy at Dover.”

Basingstoke led 15-0 at the break thanks to two tries from Freddie Gleadowe, but Matt Horne's score was all they could manage after half-time as they won 22-0.

See The Monday Gazette for a full report.