Fareham Heathens gave everything in heavy Vase defeat
The visitors were forced to play 60-year-old Peter Mitchell at hooker and the veteran stayed on for the full 80 minutes.
Heathens try-scorer Jashan Solanki felt all the players could hold their heads up high despite the result.
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Hide AdHe said: '˜Peter has been playing for the club for more than 30 years and always seems to manage one first team game a year.
'˜He went up yesterday expecting to play a cameo role at the end.
'˜I expect he is feeling it now having played all game.
'˜We went up there with a lot of inexperienced players.
'˜Some had only had a couple of games in the second team.
'˜Old Mid-Whitgiftian were a young and powerful side and they had us on the back foot virtually from the start.
'˜The one area where we did better than them was in the scrummage where we had them going backwards.'
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Hide AdSolanki got the visitors on the scoreboard with a try in the first half.
Skipper Rob Impey made a strong break to create a two-on-one with the home full-back and Solanki was given an easy run in.
Jim Gardner, a second row forward who moved to number eight, scored Heathens' second try from a push over scrummage.
Player-coach Dave Wheaton was proud of the way his players stuck at the task.
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Hide AdHe said: '˜We were forced to make some late replacements due to last-minute drop outs and went up with a 16-man squad.
'˜It was always going be a test for us but we pride ourselves on commitment and we were always going to play the fixture. '˜The lads put everything into the game, but the Whitgiftian backs proved too strong on the day. '˜Our forwards dominated in the scrum once more but just struggled at times in open play.
'˜This was down to different combinations and getting used to each other which showed at times.
'˜Our lineout worked well but we just didn't seem to move the ball out wide with any conviction yesterday. '˜I am very proud of the lads who put on a shirt, as I know they put in the effort.
'˜They dug in and never gave up.'