Rosslyn Park lost to the last kick of the game at Preston Grasshoppers on Saturday.

Park were so heavily delayed on their train journey to the north west they had to change and be strapped up on the train. It showed as Preston led 10-0 after eight minutes.

After 20 minutes, constant pressure in the home 22 led to Andy Maddock going on a swerving run and passing for Ben Thirwell to crash over under the posts for Park.

Preston led 10-7 at the break but, in the second half, Park sent Grasshoppers back at a rate of knots from the scrum, and the referee had no doubt in awarding a penalty try as the scrum was brought down.

Glynn reduced the arrears to a point with 20 minutes left but missed two penalties in injury time which appeared to have given Park the points.

But with play in the sixth minute of injury time, a kick gave Preston a 16-14 win.

Executed

Barnes put up a great fight at Diss, who are two divisions higher, in the fourth round of the RFU Intermediate Cup, unluckily losing 19-18.

Diss scored the first try but Barnes hit back with a perfectly executed move practised all week by Carson Russell and Russell Barnes. The latter dived over for a converted try.

Russell kicked another penalty but a soft try under the post restored Diss' advantage.

Barnes again completely stretched the Diss defence after a great swerving run by Stuart Johnstone led to a try for Mark Patterson.

Russell's penalty made it 18-12 but a converted try on the stroke of half time put Diss ahead again.

With the light fading, there was no further score in the second half although a Russell penalty went just short.

Merton ran out 31-17 winners against Old Rutlishians. The two sides meet again in a league game tomorrow.

The match was marred by a serious neck injury to Rudi Spies, who was stretchered off.

Andy Dunseath and Dave Salter drove over for early tries and Danny Goh scored Merton's third.

In the second-half, following a couple of changes in personnel, the visitors managed to run in three tries of their own.

However, each time they scored, Merton responded by going over for a try themselves through Goh, Andy Ramsey and Andy Dunseath.

December 4, 2001 13:00