Gosport and Fareham Rugby Football Club - GFRFC

The result means Gos are certain sixth place finishers of the 10-team league even though there is one game to play in a fortnight's time.

Camberley need to beat second from bottom Old Paulines by more than 115 points to overtake the points' difference advantage that Gos have, but the match of the day will be the battle for the play-off spot between joint second placed London South Africa and Old Wellingtonians, when the current points' difference between the two of +44 could be the deciding factor!

Gos go to the already crowned champions Warlingham on that day needing a win by over 42 points to take them up to fifth - possible but highly unlikely!

An Anthony Reynolds try in the 9th minute made up for a sloppy bit of defending five minutes earlier when Trojans opened the scoring. The Eastleigh side scored a 24th minute penalty and four minutes after that a defensive error under the Garryowen let them in for a converted try.

The second half was scoreless as both sides played entertaining rugby in the wind and rain that swept across Gosport Park all afternoon.

Said Director of Rugby & Coaching Simon Ansell said: "The penalty count in the first half (against us) gave them the game. That was the big factor in it.

"We lost the game in the first half. We played well into the (strong) wind and made lots of ground and did what we set out to do. But we threw it away with the penalty count and the yardage that went with it.

"It was a difficult day and difficult conditions and the game was a credit to both teams who stuck at it. The irony is they beat us at our own game with the rolling maul which is something we have been very strong with all season.

"Their lineout worked very well and ours didn't fire on all cylinders. It was a difficult day for throwers but they threw well and we didn't.

"We made errors and it handed them the game. Both sides put the effort in.

"The team has come a long way and there has been a lot of regrowth and that's a credit to all of the players. They have stuck at it and the nucleus of the team has stayed the same.

"This time last season we used 54 players and we have used about half that number this season. That's good. A lot of the youngsters have stepped in and come on well.

"We are 100% safe although I would have liked to have finished a bit higher in the league.

"Overall it was a good performance today and I am not upset that we lost, it was just two problematic areas that gave them the game. I don't think they won it - I think we gave it to them."

Andy Notley has the attention of these two Trojans in the defeat. Photo by Roger Smith. More pictures in the Photo Gallery.