UNFORCED errors proved costly as Market Rasen & Louth RUFC suffered an 11th Midlands 1 East defeat on the bounce.
The Red and Greens were beaten 23-17 at Peterborough.
Rasen have positives to take out of the narrow reverse, but they need points – fast.
Their disastrous losing spree has sent the relegation-threatened team spiralling down to second from bottom in the table.
Rasen's next opponents are Market Bosworth. They visit Willingham Road on Saturday (2.15pm kick-off) looking to bounce back from a 33-3 home defeat last weekend.
The Red and Greens need to be in an ebullient mood to ensure they don't.
Recharged for the New Year, Rasen took the lead on three minutes when fly-half Matt Sutton's long pass found Tom Alldridge and he powered to the line to register his first try for the club.
The hooker was injured after catching a knee in the back from a defender, however, and had to be withdrawn. That bad fortune proved costly – Rasen's lineout efficiency suffered thereafter.
Sutton, back from a long injury break, composed himself to slot home the conversion from wide out.
Peterborough replied when lock Ben Crooks forced his way over the line after the host's pack launched a drive, powered by influential number eight Peter Kolakawski.
Rasen bounced back and were close to scoring when prop Chris Starling was held up over the line by desperate defending.
But when a high kick, following an excellent run by Peterborough full-back Vernon Horne, wasn't dealt with, the pacey Horne arched a 40-yard run to score.
Rasen responded when, after a series of penalties close to the line that were reset as scrums, scrum-half Jack Noquet tapped quickly and scampered over the line.
The Red and Greens were hit by a sucker-punch in the second half when a turnover ball set Peterborough's back-line in motion and winger Chris Sansby made amends, after being sin-binned in the first half, by scoring a try.
The game remained nip and tuck, but Peterborough extended their lead when their scrum-half Richie Warlow kicked a penalty between the posts.
Rasen's afternoon went from bad to worse when Sansby slipped down the blind-side to add another try for Peterborough.
But Rasen were rewarded for their battling efforts when they wrestled back a losing bonus point at the death. A penalty was drilled to touch and, after a Peterborough player got a fingertip on the resulting lineout throw, Dave Starling pounced on the loose ball to score.
Sutton's conversion attempt then struck a post, which summed up Rasen's day – again it was so near and yet so far!
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