Basingstoke 14pts, Worthing 33

WORTHING returned to the top of the London one table after completing a double over Basingstoke on Saturday at Down Grange.

This was a much-improved performance by the FX-backed 'Stoke team from the first encounter against Worthing and, had it not been for silly errors, they would have finished closer than the scoreline suggests.

The damage was done in the first half, with the visitors opening up a 28-3 lead through four tries, a conversion and two penalties to a solitary Ian Calder penalty.

As early as the fifth minute, a poor attempt at a chip on 'Stoke's own goal-line resulted in a Worthing score.

Then a bouncing ball beat a 'Stoke wing for a second Worthing touchdown and made it 12 points given away cheaply.

To add to the mistakes, a poorly-directed clearance straight to a Worthing player resulted in another return of seven points.

After the visitors scored again in the last minute of the half, 'Stoke were always going to find it hard to get back in the game.

The first 25 minutes of the second half saw the home side at their best.

They took the game to Worthing and made them look an ordinary side.

The forwards were winning ball and the backs exploiting space. Due to the pressure, the visitors conceded penalties, which 'Stoke used to find field positions or to kick at goal.

Calder took advantage of two chances to kick at goal and reduced the deficit to 28-9.

'Stoke continued to press in the visitors' 22 and were rewarded, after several passages of play, with player-coach Jim Dixon crashing over for an unconverted try.

In the last 15 minutes, Worthing came back into the game and were helped by Simon Appleby being harshly yellow-carded to follow Andy Wilson and become the second home player to be sin-binned.

Worthing added another try late on but this still left 'Stoke winning the second half 11-5 and wondering what might have been without the silly errors in the first half.

Dixon said afterwards: "The second half was great and we competed well.

"We need to work hard individually over the next two weeks before we come back as a team to prepare for two crucial games against Thanet and London Nigerians.

"They are must-win games for us."

Basingstoke: M Lucas (rep E Chimbima); O Rogers, V Feausi, I Calder, S Buckland; S Berti, D Lillywhite; P Perkins (rep I White), J Dixon, R Bussati, A Wilson (rep C Williams), R Sterling, C Hampson, S Appleby, T Northcote.