Basingstoke 13 Bishop's Stortford 36

FAILURE to convert pressure into points saw 'Stoke miss the chance to earn their first league win of the season.

The game opened up at Down Grange with 'Stoke infringing at the kick-off and then conceding a penalty from the resulting scrum, allowing the visitors an immediate advantage.

It was not until 10 minutes into the game that 'Stoke had their hands on the ball to make inroads. By this time they were already 3-0 down, after a fourth-minute penalty was converted.

Stortford were being made to look the better team as 'Stoke continued to give posses-sion away by conceding too many penalties. As a result, they were often on the back foot, which allowed the visitors to score two converted tries on 25 and 30 minutes.

In the last 10 minutes of the half, 'Stoke began to dictate the game and had periods of play in the opponents' 22.

This was rewarded on the half-time whistle when stand-in captain Matt Evans opted to go for touch rather than convert a kickable penalty. From the resulting lineout, a clean catch and drive saw Simon Appleby score to send 'Stoke in 17-8 down.

Within two minutes of the second half starting, 'Stoke were playing against 14 men when the visitors had their number 8 yellow carded for diving over the ball.

'Stoke didn't take full advantage of the situation.

Although playing in their opponents' 22, on the first four visits 'Stoke gave away two penalties and knocked on twice to allow Stortford to regroup and clear their lines.

On one occasion the home side were awarded a penalty which Brian Parsons converted to reduce the arrears to 17-8.

With a minute left of the visitors being down to 14 men, Stortford ran a kick back at 'Stoke from inside their own half. Some poor tackling from the 'Stoke defence enabled them to score a converted try and extend the lead to 24-8.

Aimless kicking then saw 'Stoke put themselves under pressure, as it allowed the visitors to run the ball back. As a result, they extended their lead on 52 minutes with another converted try to make the score 31-8.

'Stoke came back into the game once again, playing the better rugby and producing a pattern of play that they have worked at.

This was rewarded with a second try for Appleby, again from a catch and drive from a lineout to reduce the deficit to 31-13.

However, it was the visitors who completed the scoring with a further try and five points on 75 minutes.

Although this is still a young side, it was nice to see the two academy players, Tom Northcote and Simon Humberstone, coming on. The latter contributed a lovely break near the end.

Afterwards, player-coach Jim Dixon said: "While this was an improvement from last week it was still disappointing, especially as we put too much pressure on ourselves when inside the opponents' 22.

"On the positive side, the areas that we worked on last week, the lineouts and mauling, proved successful, as we scored both our tries from these type of situations."

'Stoke: Parsons, White, Feausi, Rees, Van Jaarsveld, Lucas (sub Humber-stone), Lillywhite; Perkins, Evans, Ian White (sub Davenport), Wilson, Stirling, Appleby, Dixon, St. Bernard (sub North-cote).