BASINGSTOKE RFC kicked off 2015 with a thrilling 16-15 victory at Cobham to complete the league double over their Surrey rivals.

The result still leaves ’Stoke 13th in London One South, but they are now only two points behind 10th-placed Cobham.

The match on Saturday started late after the referee went to Chobham instead.

In a tight first-half dominated by both defences, Basingstoke’s winger Rilwan Lawal suffered a knee injury in the first 15 minutes, but played the whole game.

Basingstoke managed the only score, fly-half Lawrence Elliot slotting a penalty to give his side a 3-0 lead at the break.

Cobham levelled things with a penalty of their own after a break from David Flower, but the boot of Basingstoke’s Elliot saw them regain the lead again at 6-3.

The visitors then made the most of a rolling maul to score their only try of the game from Ollie John, which Elliot converted.

The ’Stoke fly-half added another penalty to further extend the lead to 16-3.

At this point, the visitors, who had started the game with the bare 15 after Matt Horne suffered a back injury in the warm-up, were reduced to 14 men as Ollie John was also forced out with a back injury.

Basingstoke’s numbers were further reduced when Matt Woodhouse was yellow carded after he dived over a ruck before the ball came out.

Cobham made the most of their two- man advantage as they scored from Rory Lorimer, and Flower kicked over the conversion.

The home side were not finished and Charlie Hampton scored their second try of the match, which Flower failed to convert to make it 16-15.

Woodhouse returned with five minutes to go, but the tension in the game rose and then with the last kick of the game, Cobham were awarded a penalty.

Flower sent the ball towards the posts, but it glanced off the wrong side of the woodwork, which made sure Basingstoke made a winning start to 2015.

Head coach Gareth Lewis said: “I could not fault the spirit and felt that we deserved to win.”

Basingstoke RFC: Hawkins; Lawal, Kochanowski, Guilfoyle, Woodhouse; Elliot, Wilkinson; Turner, Bird, John, Osborne, Doel, Savine, Bolland, Hart.