Eastleigh have given themselves a steep hill to climb if they are to make a swift return to Hampshire Division 1 after falling to a 17-13 defeat at second-placed Ellingham & Ringwood on a miserable afternoon.

A late try from Hampshire rugby development officer Clive Cashell, coming from a close range drive on a particularly boggy part of the pitch, took the game away from the Bishopstoke men.

But it was the earlier charge down of Peter Noonan clearance kick that was the deciding factor when the Ellingham livewire scrum-half picked up and scored what proved the crucial score.

Russ Smith and Clive Wooding had kept Eastleigh in the hunt but coach Kevin Byron-Butler said: "There was not a cigarette paper between the sides and, in terms of effort, it was no holds barred stuff from us.

"But this result does give us a big of a hill to climb as we are now four points behind Ellingham in third but we just have to keep winning and hope they slip up somewhere."

A last-kick-of-the-game conversion from Phil Martin gave battling Fawley a much needed 14-12 win over Chineham while Lytchett Minster's first win of the season over Ventnor handed them even more cause for celebration.

They are now just two points from the safety zone after Dave Frodsham and Iain Sinclair went over for the Watersiders, which was no more than they deserved having turned around 7-0 down and then dominated the contest for the second half.

It all came down to the last two minutes when Fawley's forwards drove up the field and, following a number of phases, Sinclair made his way over the line and Martin's conversion clinched the win.

"Everyone played out of their skins," said newly appointed captain Lee Haisman. "The forwards were the dominating factor and we just kept it going. We are thrilled," he added.

Fordingbridge's Shaun Read scored their only try in the 32-13 defeat at leaders Aldershot & Fleet.