Swindon College Old Boys were denied a second Southern Counties South victory of the season as a last-minute penalty try earned local rivals Wootton Bassett a 22-22 draw at Pipers Way on Saturday.
Old Boys certainly looked the stronger of the two sides and it would have been rough justice had the Cornish referee's decision robbed them of at least a draw.
The Bassett visitors were seven points up within the first minute of the game.
The home side kicked off, but the kick failed to go 10 metres, giving Bassett the scrum on halfway.
Srum-half Mike Weeks attacked the blindside and passed to full-back Simon Cady, who in turn fed to winger Craig Smith to round his opposite number and score in the corner.
Fly-half and captain-for-the-day Neil James converted from the touchline.
The restart, which saw the first confrontation between the opposing packs, led to Bassett's Kiwi flanker Rob May being sin-binned after throwing a punch.
College took advantage of their numerical superiority and soon scored a well-worked converted try.
Spurred on by their levelling score and on the back of some vigorous rucking, College took the lead, after some good work by their three-quarters.
Bassett's Sean Millwaters and the Old Boys' Brown were then sent to the sin bin after a confrontation, but Old Boys finished the half with another score for a 17-7 lead at the break.
The home side increased their lead still further with another unconverted try soon after the start of the second half.
Bassett came back at the Old Boys, however, and after pinning the home side in their 22 Bassett were awarded a penalty which fly-half James converted.
Soon after centre Millwaters chipped the ball over the home defence for winger Smith to collect and score his second try.
That left the scores at 22-15 with some 10 minutes of the game remaining.
Bassett applied further pressure on the home side and following a series of penalties in the home 22 Bassett were finally awarded a penalty try after College were deemed to have collapsed a Bassett maul.
James stepped up and converted to earn a point for the third-placed side.
Chippenham slipped to second in South West Division 2 East after slipping 31-7 at Marlow, last season's close rivals.
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