BOURNEMOUTH 23 CONEY HILL 22

CONEY Hill's fantastic winning run in National Three South West finally came to an end at Bournemouth in narrow circumstances.

Prior to the match,Hill had won five games in a row and lost just once in their last nine fixtures to rise to sixth place.

Ironically, that good run of form had begun with a 20-14 victory over Bournemouth but Paul Morris' men were denied the double and were consoled by a losing bonus point.

The home team were boosted by taking two bonus points off leaders Taunton last week inspired by former Worcester and Harlequins second row Tim Collier.

They made the perfect start after taking a 16-0 lead but the game turned when Collier was forced off the field thorough injury and Hill fought back.

Bournemouth took the lead after five minutes when winger Rory Hearson kicked a penalty and then ran in a poor clearance kick to score the first try after 22 minutes.

Hearson missed the conversion but four minutes later Bournemouth fly-half Mike Pope scored their second try in almost identical fashion.

Again Hearson was off target with the extra points but he knocked over a penalty on 36 minutes to take a 16-0 lead.

Coney Hill second row Chris Cooper was then sin-binned but with 14 men they responded in style when scrum-half Mike Hagan got his first try for the club after a couple of phases and good play between Sid King and Mark Rimmer.

Rory Baker converted to make it 16-7 at half-time and on 47 minutes captain Rimmer scored his side's second try after breaking off the back of a scrum.

Baker added the conversion to pull within two and on the hour they took the lead from a line-out with Craig Ballinger going over for their third try.

Baker missed the crucial kick, but eight minutes later the number 10 stretched the lead to six with a successful penalty after Bournemouth's prop Tim Wareham was yellow carded.

With Wareham restored, the perpetrator made up for his discretion when he was driven over to score after immense pressure on Hill's line.

Pope kicked the vital conversion to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Bournemouth: K Lynch; A Dunkerley, A Higgins, J Payne, R Hearson; M Pope, S Chislett; T Wareham, R Lynch, A Manning (c); T Collier (J Burns 28), T Seward; H Stevenson, D Le Roux (N Stanton-Ketchley 62), C Hughes. Unused Substitute: James Flynn.

Coney Hill: D Davis; M Whelan, L Morgan, C Overthrow, A Macrae; R Baker, M Hagan; S Ellacott, R Nicholls, A Pettigrew; C Cooper, M Rimmer (c); J Robson, C Ballinger, S King. Replacements: L Correia, A Jones, J Cole.