READING’s first-ever league match with Bicester was a close-fought encounter in which the hosts lost 17-12 despite coming close to snatching victory right at the end.

Bicester had taken the lead with half an hour to go of the Southern Counties North clash when Rob Cunningham was adjudged to have pulled down a maul, thus preventing a try.

The visitors got the seven points from a penalty try and Cunningham went into the sin-bin to join a colleague who had been yellow-carded a minute earlier.

For the next eight minutes Reading managed to hold out with 13 men against a team with a mammoth pack of forwards and they then made a push for a win in the last two minutes of the game.

This came from a move which started with a scrum in Reading’s 22, the ball being driven on in the centre and Dan Witko making a scything break.

Witko linked up with Alex Murray-Smith and Reading were awarded a penalty 15 yards from the line.

The decision was made to take the scrum, despite the strength of the Bicester pack.

Reading were predictably driven back, but the visitors were penalised again.

Again Reading went for the scrum and again they were driven back, but this time they managed to run the ball without quite making the line.

Another penalty was tried with a tap-and-go, but without forwards driving in straight away the opportunity was lost as the final whistle went.

A team more confident with its line-out would have attempted a lineout catch-and-drive, as Bicester had done for their penalty try.

The game started in what was to become a familiar scene, with the Bicester pack driving their side forward, yet a good prolonged Reading move set up a penalty in front of the posts.

Alex Dorliac was unfortunate to hit the post and the chance was lost, but a 15th-minute try from Will Proctor Searle, who was backing up skipper Charlie Davies after a charge down, gave Reading the lead.

Seven minutes later a break by Bicester full back Charlie Bethell set up a penalty for centre Josh Wordsworth to make it 5-3.

After this the visitors continued to press, but it was Reading who scored next as some good interplay between forwards and backs led to a try well-taken by Mark Toland.

This gave Reading a half time lead at 12-3, but the visitors scored 14 unanswered points in the second half to take the game.

Reading coach Ben Wills was very disappointed after the game, but there was much to admire in Reading’s game.

Bicester, who lost their first four games, have had some players come back and have now won their last four matches, including a 50-point thrashing of Marlow last week.

They are clearly the form side and would have expected to win more easily.

Reading’s defence, with the majority of the ball going Bicester’s way, was outstanding.

Maybe Reading should have tried a driving line-out in the last couple of minutes when they knew their scrum was already under pressure.

The last tapped penalty move looked unrehearsed and was easily swallowed up. These are things that can be fixed.

Among many good performances, Davies and Grant Spears showed up well, as did Witko and George Dear in the backs. Luke Burns also once again showed his versatility with a move to scrum half during the game.