Portsmouth RFC run out of time to pull off late comeback at high-flying Old Walcountians

In the end, an earlier deficit of 24 points proved damaging as the visitors eventually went down 24-14 in Banstead - despite Hare's late, inspired points surge.

With head coach Gareth Richards not at the game, forwards coach Dan Roberts felt a 'mad' five-minute second-half spell, which saw Portsmouth concede two tries in that period, was match-defining.

‘We defended really well pretty much all (the) first half. To go in 5-0 (down at half-time), we thought we had a chance,’ Roberts reflected.

‘They got two quick tries straight at the start of the second half. We responded, they (the players) did everything we asked about running hard and looking to pick up the intensity in attack.

‘We just couldn't quite put that mad five minutes behind us. It was just a five-minute period where they scored tries and we couldn't get back into it after that. If there had been another five minutes we'd have at least picked up a bonus-point.’

Portsmouth remain winless on their travels this season after going down at fourth-placed Old Walcountians. The hosts had a slender 5-0 half-time advantage before they ran in two tries in very quick succession to leave Portsmouth with an uphill struggle at 17-0 behind.

Hare finally got his side's first points, only after the visitors had conceded another try, to make it 24-7. It was Hare who went over again late on but time was against Portsmouth as they were unable to claw themselves back into it with such a big deficit to make up.