A TENTH successive Midlands One East League defeat has sunk Market Rasen & Louth RUFC into the relegation mire.
The Red and Greens couldn't halt their losing tide last Saturday, going down 25-7 at Kettering.
When a team is battling for a first win since September, it doesn't help when six changes are enforced due to injuries and unavailability.
But unforced errors and costly turnovers early in the game also fuelled Rasen's demise, giving Kettering a foothold in the game while fracturing the visitors' fragile confidence.
The squad now has to dig deep for that elusive victory – Saturday's home game against third-from-bottom Spalding is a good chance to stop the rot.
The Willingham Road boys have to pin their hopes that the psychological boost of ending their winless rut might spark a series of positive results.
Depleted Rasen were forced into two positional switches and struggled to get going against a determined, young Kettering side.
Early pressure from the hosts yielded two penalty chances, with full-back Joe Daniel nailing the second to give his team the lead after seven minutes.
Further disruption for Rasen followed. Winger Chris Green, who wasn't feeling well, and fly-half Jake Goodison had to leave the field in quick succession, although the latter returned for the second half.
The resultant back-line reshuffle saw flanker Ross Barr gamely play on the wing for much of the first half.
Kettering dominated territory, but Rasen defended well and the hosts were limited to one penalty opportunity, which was spurned.
Rasen had a chance to level when a quick tap penalty from debutant substitute scrum-half Jack Noquet led to Kettering conceding a further penalty for not retreating ten metres. This brought the kick within Matt Sutton's range, but he narrowly missed the target.
A snatched drop-goal attempt from Sutton fell wide and short after Rasen's forwards had put some phases together.
Rasen came back again, but powerful counter-rucking from Kettering proved the decisive. Turnover ball was produced and Kettering worked the blindside, feeding the dangerous Daniel who touched down after a chip and chase.
Deadly Daniel almost crossed the whitewash again close to half-time – he was held up just short of the line after a daring run.
Any thoughts of a Red and Green comeback after the break were dashed four minutes in when Kettering scrum-half Ryan Conyard darted up the blindside and scored in the corner.
The ubiquitous Daniel then scored a superb touchline conversion.
Rasen battled in response and earned a penalty opportunity, but Sutton failed to convert.
The visitors had a lifeline five minutes later when, after Noquet cleverly delayed his pass, winger Nick Harvey sliced through Kettering's defence to score under the posts. Sutton slotted the conversion.
But the renewed optimism was short-lived as Kettering went close again. Daniel, who had moved to fly-half, intercepted a pass and charged to the line before a scrambling Rasen defence caught him just short of the whitewash.
Rasen showed signs of adventure with good running from Noquet and winger Peter Everton, but Kettering maintained control – when another Daniel penalty clenched their grip on the game.
Kettering wrapped things up with a late try from a five-metre scrum.
After spurning a similar opportunity earlier, this time there was no mistake as number eight Rory Keir bulldozed over the line. Daniel added the conversion.
A small consolation for Rasen was that they were spared the ignominy of a bonus-point defeat – with only one minute remaining, Kettering couldn't score a fourth try.
