A TRY three minutes from time helped Gosport & Fareham maintain their unbeaten start to the season - but skipper Simon Burns was far from happy after the game.

Although they beat promoted Kent outfit Dartfordians 14-12, Gosport needed to come from behind twice in both halves and wait until the final moments for the vital points when Chris Thompson went over and Neil Evans converted.

Prop forward Burns was critical of his side and has called for an instant improvement if they are to stand up for the rest of the campaign.

"We only played for ten minutes but we scored two tries and we've won," he said. "We can only build on this. If we played well and they were a poor side then fair enough, but they were not a poor side. We played badly and have come away with the win.

"We now have two wins in a row and are not playing well. I am not happy with the way we are playing but training is going well - it is the way it goes on match day that is not pleasing me."

Burns does have an injury worry to contend with as Richard Lloyd limped off with ankle ligament damage and is a doubt for several weeks.

Portsmouth are the early pacesetters following their outstanding 17-8 victory at pre-season favourites Barnes which was a credit as much to their forwards as anything else.

With the home side renowned for their forward power, for Portsmouth to beat them up front was astounding but they controlled the game after going behind early on to a try and a penalty.

Australian Grant Erskine found a gap to score and his effort was followed by prop Ian Thatcher going over. Erskine converted both and added a penalty and Barnes ran out of ideas.

"This result will make a few people sit up and take notice," said rugby manager Nigel Morgan. "It was a superb team performance and we fully deserved to beat the favourites to win the league."

Havant's tough time back into National League rugby continued as they went down at Redruth 18-7 but they gave their opponents a scare on the way. The killer instinct required to survive in the division was lacking again as, at one point, a six-man overlap went begging against a side packed full of players with higher league experience with Penzance & Newlyn.

Matthew Gronow continued his outstanding opening to the campaign with a try which closed the gap to eight points but that was as close as they got.

"You cannot fault our spirit or commitment in what was, at times, a brutal encounter," said director of rugby Adam King. "But we have to take the half chances if we are to stay in this league and, with new faces likely to be coming soon, the pressure on the first team places will intensify," he added.

Basingstoke commenced their London One campaign with a defeat but they will take considerable heart from their away day at Richmond, only going down 17-8 to the free-scoring former giants.