CIRENCESTER 3rd fell to a heavy defeat in their first match of 2004, as Gloucester side Gordon League ran out 64-5 winners.

Under the captaincy of Dave Crouch, Ciren found it difficult to cope with League's experienced pack and strong-running backs.

Cirencester attempted to slow the pace of the game and had a storming 10 minutes but failed to cross the line.

The second half followed the same pattern, although Michael Smith did cross the line after a quickly-taken penalty.

CIRENCESTER Under 16 gave three-times Gloucestershire county champions an almighty fright before losing 8-5 at Kingshill School.

After a below-par performance against Witney the previous week, Cirencester started strongly and Longlevens looked second best all around the field.

Within the first two minutes, the visitors gave away their first penalty but Cirencester fly-half James Constable narrowly failed to convert it.

Longlevens then grabbed the lead, but Constable hit back with two successful kicks of his own to send Ciren into the lead at half-time.

The second half saw Cirencester dominate again but, after 10 minutes, they lost captain and open side flanker Malc Farnan to injury.

It proved a key blow that allowed the visitors to find a chink in the home side's defence to score a try in the corner.

A tense finish saw the home side narrowly fail to convert a penalty and drop goal that would have sealed what would have been a deserved victory.