SUPERMARINE were unable to put an end to a run of six games without a victory at the weekend when they fell to a 24-9 defeat away to Royal Wotton Bassett 2nd.

The hosts sported a makeshift front row due to injuries and unavailabilities for the rearranged fixture and were caused problems in the opening stages, but soon found their rhythm to complete a straightforward victory.

“It was a funny game. We had quite a lot of the ball and possession but we just couldn’t quite click,” said Bassett skipper Alex Norcross.

“A lot of that is to do with us not playing regularly for the last six or seven games.

“We held together and pulled through in the end, and did pretty well.”

The defeat leaves Marine perilously close to the foot of the table in Dorset & Wilts One North, with only Devizes 2nd, who have not won a game, below them.

However, Bassett lifted themselves to sixth and despite lacking consistency in their selection, with many being called up to help fill the gaps in a first team who have been blighted by injuries this season.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start at the beginning of the season and it took us a while to gel,” added Norcross, who says that a path into the first team has boosted morale ten-fold this season.

“There are some big first teams in our league at the moment and once we found our feet, we put a winning streak together and that pushed us up the table.

“The first team have had five or six long-term injuries, so their natural pool of players is from the twos and that has been a massive incentive for the lads.”

Bassett welcomed back Tim Gallimore at the weekend, who has been missing from the first team for several months through injury, and he played the whole game.

“We had Tim Gallimore back and he got 80 minutes under his belt, which is great,” said first team head coach Alan Low.

“It was good to see how they adapted and it was good for me to see a couple of the younger lads.

“Dan Sweeney made his first-team debut the other week against Old Centralians. To watch him under a little less pressure, in his preferred position, was really good and he was a spark in the side.”