A disappointing morning seeing England beaten in the World Cup Final, turned into a disappointing day all round, as the afternoon which started so promisingly for DMPRFC, also ended so disappointingly against a Rosslyn Park RFC, who were there for the taking all throughout the match.

With both teams placed in the silver and bronze medal position in National League One and on the field fairly evenly matched, in the end it was down to a case of who would make the least mistakes and that was the visitors Rosslyn Park, who were also more clinical in attack.

Both sides rarely visited each others line, but it was Rosslyn Park who made it count when they did, all three basically emanating from penalties given away by the home side, which were kicked to the corner and either caught and driven or worked out across the line.

Mowden started the better of the sides in the first quarter of the game were full value for their lead, scoring two converted tries before the visitors against a slow to start opposition.

A penalty was kicked to the corner and after only 5 minutes of play, the following catch and drive lineout took the home side well into visitors territory. A series of pick and drive carries followed until the ball was whisked out to full back Brandon ASHER-WOOD was squeezed over. (5 - 0)

Home fly half Warren SEALS accurately added the conversion from close to the by-line. (7 - 0)

ASHER-WOOD was instrumental in Mowden’s second try, when his pace caused problems for Rosslyn Park wide out, before offloading to wing Callum MACKENZIE ,again to squeeze in to the corner. (12 - 0)

SEALS converting again from the by-line. (14 - 0)

Instead of building on the decent start, Mowden eased off the pedal and allowed the visitors two incursions into their half, which both brought rewards.

The first from a catch and drive lineout, driven over the line after some poor, token defence from the home side, with flanker Arthur ELLIS touching down, (14 - 5) with Oliver GROVE adding the conversion which struck the post and scraped through. (14 - 7)

Ten minutes later, visiting lock Gregor GILLANDERS found himself in the back line and his straight run dissected the home line to the line, where a try saving tackle stopped him just short. However, the visitors arrived in numbers and wing Richard CHEESEMAN forced his way over. (14 - 12)

Rosslyn Park’s winger Craig HOLLAND added the extras. (14 - 14)

So all square at oranges and everything to play for, for both sides.

It always looked as if the difference in the sides would be just one score and so it proved to be, when after ten minutes of the restart, visiting hooker Tom VAUGHAN-EDWARDS touched down from another catch and drive effort (14 - 19), with HOLLAND converting. (14 - 21)

SEALS added a penalty for the home side late on (17 - 21), which was matched by HOLLAND (17 - 24), when the visitors were awarded a penalty after home flanker George GROVES was sent to the bin for a late tackle on Oliver GROVE, who after a long period was eventually stretchered off the field with concussion and transferred to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

The game petered out from that point and with ten minutes to go neither side created a telling opportunity.