Fareham Heathens gave everything in heavy Vase defeat

The visitors were forced to play 60-year-old Peter Mitchell at hooker and the veteran stayed on for the full 80 minutes.

Heathens try-scorer Jashan Solanki felt all the players could hold their heads up high despite the result.

He said: '˜Peter has been playing for the club for more than 30 years and always seems to manage one first team game a year.

'˜He went up yesterday expecting to play a cameo role at the end.

'˜I expect he is feeling it now having played all game.

'˜We went up there with a lot of inexperienced players.

'˜Some had only had a couple of games in the second team.

'˜Old Mid-Whitgiftian were a young and powerful side and they had us on the back foot virtually from the start.

'˜The one area where we did better than them was in the scrummage where we had them going backwards.'

Solanki got the visitors on the scoreboard with a try in the first half.

Skipper Rob Impey made a strong break to create a two-on-one with the home full-back and Solanki was given an easy run in.

Jim Gardner, a second row forward who moved to number eight, scored Heathens' second try from a push over scrummage.

Player-coach Dave Wheaton was proud of the way his players stuck at the task.

He said: '˜We were forced to make some late replacements due to last-minute drop outs and went up with a 16-man squad.

'˜It was always going be a test for us but we pride ourselves on commitment and we were always going to play the fixture. '˜The lads put everything into the game, but the Whitgiftian backs proved too strong on the day. '˜Our forwards dominated in the scrum once more but just struggled at times in open play.

'˜This was down to different combinations and getting used to each other which showed at times.

'˜Our lineout worked well but we just didn't seem to move the ball out wide with any conviction yesterday. '˜I am very proud of the lads who put on a shirt, as I know they put in the effort.

'˜They dug in and never gave up.'