HEAD coach Will Croker piloted Bournemouth to a sixth win in eight games – but insisted his players still needed to become more ruthless.

Lions maintained their promotion challenge by registering a 17-13 victory over National Three South West rivals Newton Abbot on Saturday.

However, despite downing the All Whites in Devon, Bournemouth failed to turn their territorial advantage into points and slipped a place to sixth in the table.

Croker told the Daily Echo: “It is a tough place to go. They always have a very vocal crowd and really get behind their team. They were enormous and the biggest side we had faced this season.

“But the scoreline flattered them. We dominated for such large periods and I don’t think they got into our 22 in the second half.

“The issue for us at the moment is not our defence because we have one of the best in the league. It is about getting the tries to get us the bonus points.

“We were delighted with the result and some of the performance-building from the boys was sensational. Their work rate and commitment to each another in defence was second to none and could not be faulted.

“We just have to be a little more ruthless. When we get that sort of domination, we have to put the other team to the sword. We didn’t kill off Newton Abbot and a breakaway try at the end would have won it for them so we have to be a little harder.”

Although the hosts drew first blood from a penalty inside the opening two minutes, Bournemouth hit back with two Grant Hancox penalties in quick succession midway through the first half.

A Wyn Roberts try early in the second half saw Bournemouth regain the lead after the All Whites had edged 10-6 ahead through a converted try on the stroke of half-time.

And although Hancox’s conversion attempt drifted wide, another successful penalty double from the Lions kicker helped them forge into a 17-10 lead with the hosts reducing the deficit 15 minutes from time.

Croker added: “For the first time in a while, we were able to name a consistent side which was a huge help.

“Bournemouth has always had a couple of talismanic players and, if they didn’t come to the party, they would struggle.

“Some of our bigger players had fairly quiet games and some of the players who have not always had the plaudits stepped up and were absolutely sensational.

“Winger Ben Stewart, the oldest player in the side, was man of the match and put in a huge shift and Sam Bailey, who has just turned 18, took on the Jack Hennings role, carried hard and made a real nuisance of himself all over the place so we were really pleased with that.

Lions: Tarrant, Allan, Firetto, Treloar, Warwick, Hennings, Yeats, Rees, Hardcastle, Chislett, Roberts, Chandler, Hancox, Stewart, Sutherland. Subs: Hughes, Bailey, Veneroso.