ROYAL Wootton Bassett head coach Alan Low has called on his players not to end the season on a damp squib after their ‘worst performance’ in a 29-8 defeat at home to Beaconsfield.

Having gone on a run of 12 games unbeaten, which started way back in November, the Ballard’s Ash outfit have now lost their last two on the bounce and threaten to put a sour taste on the end of what has been an impressive campaign.

Bassett started the stronger of the two teams on Saturday but after Sam Robinson saw red in the 15th minute, it was always going to be an uphill challenge.

Low was left disappointed but his side’s attitude at the end of the game and says his young team still have a lot to learn.

“Saturday was probably our worst performance of the season,” he said.

“We started very well and in the first 15 minutes, we were on the front foot and we spent all that time in their 22 but struggled to score.

“After 15 minutes, they made a break and got up into our 22 and we ended up with a red card and it got progressively worse from there.

“We picked up a load of injuries and picked up another yellow card in the second half, so we ended up playing some of the game with 13 men.

“”We’ve got a young squad and I think they struggle with not being the underdogs anymore.

“It has just crept in that it will just happen and when you are at the top, you have got to work harder.

“Teams work hard to get to the top but when you get there, you have got to work harder to stay there and that is new to a lot of the guys.

“It is not how you want to finish the season. It has been a great season and the guys have got to recognise that they have got to continue to work hard until the end of the year.

“You don’t finish a race 10 metres before the line. You get over the line and you are still going full tilt.

“We have got to understand that as a group of players and we have got to get that put right.”