Three wins in a row have boosted Winchester's points tally but the likelihood of it saving their bacon from the drop is still looking bleak as other results continue to go against them.

Their latest success, a scrappy and altogether forgettable 6-5 win over county rivals Gosport & Fareham has kept alive their mathematical chances of staying up but the realisms are that the Nuns Road outfit will go down, whatever happens at Andover in two weeks time.

The only side they can catch are Tunbridge Wells but they have a 127 points difference advantage over the black and ambers and the Kent men's final game is at home to bottom side Cobham.

It will be a tall order to expect the mammoth turnaround Winchester need to survive the axe.

Two penalties from Dan Kinsey either side of the half-time interval sandwiched a well-worked try from Gosport's number eight Chris Thompson, who swept play from the right to the left and finished off the move.

But in between, there were bouts of handbags which were well controlled by the referee, who decided to let the players get on with it rather than wield yellow cards around. A stern talking to the captains calmed the situation.

Otherwise, a rather uneventful game in which Winchester's defence held out well but it is going to be too late for them. "The lads played well enough to win," said coach Barry Bridgman, "and that is a credit to them."

Gosport coach Sean Fanning was less complimentary about his side. "We played like a mid-table side and that's all we are this season. I told the lads that in the dressing room afterwards."

Andover will be playing in London Division Three South-West next season after they pulled out of their scheduled trip to Richmond due to a lack of front-row players.

Skipper Marc Wilding was left with a number of injuries after training on Thursday and with others away on Army exercises, he and the club were left with little option but to withdraw from the game. "We did not want to do it, but we had to in the end," he said.

Havant's match with London Division One leaders Hertford in two weeks time is going to be a winner-takes-all automatic promotion show-down following the latter's shock 5-0 reverse at Old Albanians.

With Havant thumping Thanet Wanderers 58-0, thanks to a nine-try demolition, it closed the gap to just two points and with the Hooks Lane side having a vastly superior points difference, a win will give them the National League spot straight away.

Winger Keith Molyneux ran in a hat-trick while Steve Stapleton added a brace.

"I was a little concerned when we had to make so many changes after last week's efforts in Bradford, but everyone showed themselves equal to the task," said Director of Rugby Adam King.