THERE might be nothing riding on Basingstoke RFC’s final league game of the season – but head club coach Junior Paramore wants his side to get in the winning habit ahead of their county cup final later this month.

’Stoke were relegated from National Three London after losing 41-5 away at Ampthill last weekend, leaving them with little to play for on Saturday, when Staines will visit Down Grange (kick-off 3pm).

However, they still have a Hampshire Cup final against Gosport and Fareham to look forward to on April 30 – and Paramore wants his side to warm up for that with a victory.

“It would be good to have a good win in the build up to the cup final and that is the aim,” he said. “We have just got to play for pride and look forward to the Hampshire Cup final.”

Staines are just two places above Basingstoke in the table after losing their last four games and they have a terrible away record, losing nine out of 12 on their travels.

They won 33-10 when the sides met in the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season but, with the pressure off, Paramore thinks that ’Stoke can turn it around.

“The whole season has been a rollercoaster and I think that this Saturday we will be able to go out there with nothing to lose,” he said. “They can express themselves and enjoy the game. I want the boys to go out there and give something back to the club, supporters and sponsors. We may be relegated but the boys want to end the league season on a high and move on.”

Paramore will leave the club after the Hampshire Cup final and the Samoan admits that his year-long spell at Down Grange has not gone to plan.

“I am very disappointed at the end of the day,” he said. “It has put me on the back foot in my coaching career and I will have to sit down with my family and see what we do now.

“It just has not really happened for us. Availability problems did not help my cause and it is a real shame.

“All season we have struggled for tries, only scoring four in a game once, and that is disappointing.

“The forwards have done fantastically well though and it is a shame that people like Ollie John, Neil Young and Jamie Folan have not been available for the whole season. If they had been around all year it might have made a difference.”

Centre Freddie Gleadowe is set to return to the side after missing last week’s trip to Ampthill, while Paramore is sweating on the fitness of Folan, Dan Rees and Glen Lewis.