Canterbury’s chances of avoiding relegation took another worrying dip as this result pushed them back into the drop zone of National Division 2 South.

They now have five games to save themselves and although three of those vital encounters are on home turf they will need to rediscover a try scoring touch if they are to survive.

In a tight game at Chinnor, where defences ruled and both sides were prone to error, the city club once again failed to take their limited chances and were left empty handed.

All the points were scored in the first half but with it came a whiff of controversy as Canterbury were denied what appeared to be a legitimate try.

A Tom Best penalty kick drifted wide of the posts but as the home players hesitated in their goal area Aiden Moss dived in to get a hand on the ball. The officials, unsure of what had happened, disallowed the wingman’s effort and, in the context of the game that decision, aguably, cost Canterbury a vital losing bonus point.

It wasn’t until the final ten minutes of the match that they got another real chance to breach a well organised defence and then, twice, they missed out.

They should have done much better from Martyn Beaumont’s penetrating run which broke up the dour midfield exchanges but the final pass was put down with the line beckoning.

Minutes later it was the full back who set up a kick and chase which left scrum half Dan Smart, appearing after a four month injury break, hot favourite to score. The ball bounced a fraction high and he could only fingertip it forward over the goal line.

A frustrated city side then succumbed to panic, lost shape and Chinnor, with two converted tries safely in the bank, re-established control as they played out time comfortably.

Those Chinnor scores came after Best had given the city side the lead with an eighteenth minute penalty goal, following a strong break from Mason Rosvall. The first was down to superior weight of numbers when Alex-Wake Smith was yellow carded for a technical offence and, at the subsequent scrum, Number Eight Alfie To’oala crashed over.

The second was the product of a ball lost in contact, delightful foot work from Chinnor full back Jaryd Robinson and a finish behind the post by Robbie Martey.

Ed Keohane landed both conversions but with a strong breeze behind them in the second half Canterbury had reasons to be confident, despite losing Rosvall with a knee injury. Those hopes proved to be misplaced as Chinnor closed the door effectively and Canterbury lacked the creativity to find any cracks..

There was no shortage of effort in the performance, with Royce Cadman often ruling the lineouts and the pack scrummaging solidly, but effort alone will not be enough in the crucial weeks ahead.

Canterbury: M.Beaumont, A.Moss, R.Mackintosh,A.Veale, M.Rosvall (repl O.Best), T.Best, G.Kay (repl D.Smart). J.Green (repl C.Townley), N.Wakefield, A.Wake-Smith (repl SKenny). R.Cadman, C.Hinkins (repl T.Burns), S.Rogers, R.Ward, A.Cathcart