IT WAS a one-point win two weeks ago and it was exactly the same on Saturday - Romsey defeated Old Emanuel in their replayed Lon-don 4 South-West clash, so it's as you were at the foot of the table.

With a side a little under strength against an Emanuel outfit that coach Bryan Musk admitted he barely recognised from the previous encounter, Romsey battled their way to the win that keeps them ninth.

The game, forced to be played again following the farce of 16-15 victory on October 23, when the match was abandoned after 73 min-utes with the scrums going uncontested, was fiercely fought throughout and came down to a missed conversion.

Leading 21-15 with just seconds left, Em-anuel's pacy winger, who caused plenty of trouble to the Romsey defence, sliced the arrears to a single point, but the conversion was missed and the home side held out.

It was no more than Romsey deserved as they dominated the line-outs and held their own in the scrums while Graham Noble, who took a sickening blow to the head early in the first half and continued in a groggy state, was outstanding in collecting 11 of their points.

It included a sweet drop-goal from a full 40 yards out, which ultimately was the difference in the sides.

"He was brilliant," proclaimed the coach.

"Emanuel targeted certain players and Graham played the game not feeling particularly well.

"It was hard graft but we are delighted to get the game out of the way and obviously to have got the same result as last time."

Prop JJ Barber scored the first try - so rare it is worth mentioning it's his second in successive seasons - while back row Tim Darby added their second.

Fordingbridge returned to winning ways following their Chineham hammering last week with a hard-fought win over Faw-ley in Hampshire 2.

'Bridge were disappointed with their display despite posting three tries to Fawley's single through Poni-pate Tawake but were satisfied to join the four-way tie at the helm, all on six points.

They are fourth on points difference.

Sam Yalden, Tim Godden and Mark Newton scored Fording-bridge's tries but they lacked cohesion, especially after Tim Brittan left the field with a broken thumb at half-time.

Fawley, still rooted to the foot of the table, had one of their players taken to hospital with a cracked collarbone.

Alresford slipped to a 9-7 Hampshire 1 defeat to US Portsmouth.