ERRORS cost Wootton Bassett as they fell to a 26-10 opening-day Southern Counties South defeat at Redingensians but the Wiltshire side can still take heart from a stirring late comeback.

Bassett started the better side, with the forwards winning good ball. But passing errors stopped them scoring and Redingensians then broke out of defence to earn a penalty that they converted.

This start soon became a trend with Bassett spending large periods in the opposition's half, only for last-ditch errors to allow the hosts to break and come away with points.

It happened just before half-time when the home scrum-half broke from the back of a scrum to score a unconverted try for a 10-0 half-time lead.

Bassett started the second half on the attack, but another error allowed a length-of-the-field move to gives Redingensians another unconverted try.

Bassett replied with a penalty through fly-half Sean Millwaters, but Redingensians scored another try and a penalty soon after.

Belatedly, Bassett piled on the pressure and centre Lee Davies broke through to score under the posts, Millwaters adding the conversion.

Coach John Ricketts said: "This was always going to be difficult, against a side that last season played at a higher level and were unlucky to be relegated.

"However, I was impressed in the way that we came back at them and, if we had not made so many last-pass mistakes, the scores would have been a lot closer.''