PORTSMOUTH froze on the biggest day of their season to miss out on automatic promotion - and the day got progressively worse for coach Ian Chandler.

His side looked like fish out of water in what could have been a sink or swim match as they lost out 18-0 to Canterbury - but that was just the start of Chandler's aquatic headache.

He went home to find the tropical fish in his tank had died and then he discovered a heron had swooped down on his garden pond and made a feast of his goldfish and koi carp!

"Why did we choose today to turn in our worst performance of the season?" said Chandler on the long journey home from Canterbury.

The disappointed coach could not believe his side could play that poorly on the big stage. There could be no complaints whatever in the measure of the victory or the fact Canterbury won - the complaints came from the way it was achieved.

Canterbury dominated the match from start to finish. Portsmouth did not have a single kick at goal, their sum total of meaningful attacks was three and the nearest they came to the post was Pete Wylie's drop goal attempt three minutes before half- time. While their defence was out-standing, it was their main function of the day. For at least 65 minutes of the 80 played, Portsmouth were on the back foot, withstanding the wave after wave of light blue attacking.

From that, they can be proud they conceded only twice, both in the second half as they visibly tired from the relentless pounding of their line.

But the level of play that the city side had produced this season deserted them. On the biggest game of the club's history, the youngsters that have done so well became stage frightened in front of a vociferous home support.

Two Alex Kealy penalties was all Canterbury took out of a first half where only one side were in the game. Prop Jamie Forsyth finally broke through seven minutes into the second period before

Portsmouth eventually mounted an attack.

Another, through Matthew Gronow was upended and cleared.

Desperation was seeping through, culminated in the leagues leading try-scorer, Tom Sumner, attempting to break out of defence.

He fumbled the ball and saw his opposite number, skipper Andy Pratt collect and go over for the promotion clinching and championship- sealing try.

"They strangled our game and our front five," said Chandler. "They did a good job and we couldn't over-come it. Neither of our wingers had a chance to run like we have done most of the season.

"Our defence was tremendous but we cannot argue with the result.

The better side won. They did their homework on us."

It was all over. The winner-takes-all element did not go their way and now they must hope for the best in their play-off clash at Southend, whenever it shall be. With an RFU-backed

Solent Barbarians tour to Bulgaria booked for the scheduled date, they are hoping for a switch.

CANTERBURY 18

(Jamie Forsyth 1T, Andy Pratt 1T, Alex Kealy 1C 2P)

PORTSMOUTH 0

CANTERBURY: Kealy, Pratt (capt), Pilcher, Sweet, Weight, Walsh, Stewart; Bannigan, Davis, Forsyth, Keir, O'Rourke, Bernthal, Cullen, Aseme. Replacements: Baxter for O'Rourke (61mins), Goode for Bannigan (77mins), Plumridge for Sweet (77mins).

PORTSMOUTH: Styles, Sumner, Gronow, Cox, McLaughlan, Wylie, Vine; Martin, Goodyear, Wells, J Pearce, Forster, Davies, Ettery, B Pearce (capt). Replacements: Caspall for Gronow (13mins-17mins blood), Laidler for Ettery (55mins), Garratt for Martin (63mins).