BASINGSTOKE RFC’s run of three successive victories came to an end at Brighton on Saturday as the visitors failed to complete a second-half comeback.

’Stoke trailed 22-7 at half-time and while they outscored their hosts by three tries to one in the second period, Basingstoke came up short, losing the game 29-24.

The visitors earned maximum losing bonus points but the result, coupled with the confirmation of the club’s 15-point penalty for fielding an unregistered penalty and falsifying the match card, leaves Basingstoke 11th in the London One South table.

Saturday’s game was fairly even in the early stages but Brighton took the lead from a penalty in front of the posts and extended their advantage with a try from full-back Alex Finch soon after.

Finch then showed his defensive skills, making an important tackle to stop Basingstoke breaking through, but the visitors did manage to get points on the board soon after, scrum-half Guy Wilkinson touching down underneath the posts.

Ryan Travaskis’ successful conversion reduced the deficit to a single point, but tries from Finch and Jack Thomas just before half-time had Brighton in control at the break, leading 22-7.

Visiting captain Ryan Davis was shown a yellow card in the early stages of the second half, but Basingstoke made light of being down to 14 men, piling pressure on their hosts.

This eventually told as replacement prop Rudi Kochanowski went over for a try, with Trevaskis converting to get Basingstoke back in the game at 22-14.

However, despite Davis’ return, it was the hosts who scored next, Finch completing his hat-trick, with the conversion extending the lead to 15 points.

Brighton then lost their hooker to a yellow card and Basingstoke took advantage, Kochanowski getting his second try of the match in the corner.

The visitors trailed by 10 points going into the last 10 minutes and while they had plenty of pressure, they were unable to cross the try-line until injury-time.

Prop Steve Osborne burrowed over to earn his side two points, one for four tries and one for losing by less than eight points, but there was to be no further comeback as the final whistle followed immediately afterwards.

Basingstoke: Travaskis: Dampies, Guilfoyle, Benson, Richards; Staff, Wilkinson; Osborne, Bird, John, Durham, McDonald, Davis, Greenaway, Hart. Reps: R Kochanowski, Guyatt, Hayward.