BOURNEMOUTH chief David Dunn issued a rallying cry after seeing his side slip into the National Two South relegation places following a 19-8 defeat at Lydney.

The Lions returned from Gloucestershire empty-handed as their relegation rivals grabbed four points to push Dunn’s charges into the bottom two.

The Chapel Gate outfit have won just one of their past 10 league matches and need a timely boost in next week’s match against rock-bottom Barking, a match that Dunn describes as ‘must-win’, to aid their survival hopes.

Bournemouth then travel to Canterbury before hosting Dings Crusaders in their final home match of the season ahead of a last-day showdown with relegation rivals Taunton.

And Dunn, who masterminded the Lions’ promotion charge last season, feels that the two home matches will decide their fate.

Dunn told the Daily Echo: “Our destiny is still in our own hands, we have the game in hand and we have two matches at home that we simply must win.

"Over the next few weeks, it will be a real call to arms to turn Chapel Gate into a fortress. It is now that we need the support of the town because, even though we are staring down the barrel, I believe we can still stay up.

“You have to stay positive, and if we can win two, possibly three, of our final matches, starting next week, then I can see us getting over the line.

“However, if we fail against them I think we will definitely be relegated. We do have to beat them but I believe one more win after that should be enough.”

Meanwhile, the Lions chief was disappointed with his side’s defeat to Lydney, claiming his men did not get the rub of the green.

Dunn added: “The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. The match was played in horrendous conditions and we had hoped for a dry ball so we could impose our style of rugby on the match.

“It was a tight game and there was one try apiece but we conceded penalties at key times. That often happens away from home in front of the bigger crowds and Lydney certainly got the benefit of the decisions.

“Even towards the end of the match we had two try scoring opportunities that would have given us a much-needed bonus point.”

Lions: Carrell (Burns, 55), Wilford, Manning, Forrest, Andrews (Firetto, 50, Peart, 70), Hughes, Vaughan-Edwards, Booth, Hardcastle, Stephen-son, Connolly, Stewart, Edwards, Robinson, Pollard. Unused replacements: Veneroso, Fitch.