WESTCLIFF’S three match winning streak was ended by a narrow 17-16 defeat at Shelford on Saturday.

An unsuccessful conversion attempt with the final kick of the game saw Westcliff beaten by their hosts.

And Westcliff’s director of rugby Rick Compton was a frustrated figure at the final whistle.

“Losing these kind of games is always a great disappointment but such is sport,” said Compton.

“Last week we won by a point this week we lost by the same margin and who knows quite what next week will bring but we must shrug this disappointment off and look forward.

“There was plenty to take from the game but perhaps the most important lesson to learn is that gifting the opposition points without them having to do anything for them costs you games.

“The only points Shelford scored in the second half were the three points that we gave them by talking out of turn.

“That must not happen again.”

Westcliff - who remain 10th in the National Three London & SE standings - opened the scoring with a penalty from Jack Jones at the weekend.

But Shelford hit back and scored two well taken tries in the final 10 minutes before half-time to take the lead.

Both efforts were also converted before Jones kicked another penalty to cut the home-side’s lead to 14-6 at half-time.

After the break, Shelford went further in front with a penalty awarded after a Westcliff player displayed his disapproval of the referee who then also moved the resulting kick 10 yards forward as the protests continued.

However, despite the self-inflicted set back, Westcliff set about the task of pulling themselves out of trouble and into a potential match winning position.

Gradually they began to increase the pressure exerted on the home defence who for their own part repelled wave after wave of attacking phase play before winger Ross Merrick finally squeezed over in the right hand corner.

The unconverted try reduced the deficit to 17-11 but Westcliff now had the momentum and were able to exert further pressure.

Committed defence kept them from crossing the line up until the final moments when Merrick popped up again to get over this time on the left flank, again in the corner.

Subsequently, the result would hinge - not for the first time this season - on the game’s final kick.

But the touch-line conversion went narrowly wide as Shelford hung on to secure the narrowest of victories. Westcliff will now be bidding to bounce back at home to Dorking on Saturday and they head into the game just one place and two points below local rivals Southend.

Westcliff: Dudman, Reynolds, Tupuola, Rudd, Merrick, Jones, Branch, Weston, Hopkins, Binneman, Scoggings, Edwards, Jobling, Marsh, Vandermolen Replacements: Brown, Macintyre & Maloney