Basingstoke 43 Diss 23

Diss squandered a big early lead as their trip to one of the two sides below them at the start of the day ended in a disappointing defeat.

The visitors started well and were 17-0 up inside the first quarter, but Basingstoke had turned round the deficit by the break and pulled away in the second half.

The match was a good deal closer than the final score-line suggests but Diss have only themselves to blame after seeing a series of errors punished by their hosts.

Diss took the lead through an Andy Horne try that was converted by Chris Beaird and doubled their advantage when Beaird touched down and added the extras himself.

A Chris Beaird penalty further stretched the visitors' advantage but then they were punished for not maintaining the early momentum.

Basingstoke started to score at regular intervals and by half-time had edged into a 19-17 lead. They stretched that to 29-17 after the break before another Beaird penalty reduced the arrears and although Craig Burroughs also chipped in with three points, two further tries sealed the hosts victory; one of them an interception from close to their own line.

An afternoon that had started so brightly ended in bitter disappointment and it doesn't get an easier for Diss, with their next fixture at home to leaders Barnes.

Report taken from the EDP website