DAVID Dunn could have been forgiven for asking Santa for a round rugby ball after the cruellest of bounces cost Lions victory in Devon.

Dunn’s men were just one minute away from a well-earned victory when leading 10-8, only to look on in agony as Simon McFarlane’s missed penalty 60 seconds from time was run back up the field for a last-gasp Cockles try.

Coach Dunn, who handed a debut to wing Ramon Mallette, said: “The game should never have been played if I’m honest. We were very disappointed to get there and find the pitch was frozen.

“It put us in a very difficult position because we had to weigh up player safety against a return visit on January 2.

“We weren’t happy about playing, but we played. It was always going to be close on a pitch that didn’t allow either side to play any constructive rugby.”

Lions were dealt an early blow when fly-half Puks Ngapaku was carried off with a calf injury less than 20 minutes into the clash at the Imperial Rec.

Matt Kiely’s try, converted by McFarlane, just after the half-hour handed Lions a deserved lead, before Jack Downie crashed over for the home side just after the restart.

McFarlane added a penalty 13 minutes from time only to watch Rich Cadywould reduce the deficit to two points three minutes later.

And Lions were left heartbroken right at the death when McFarlane’s fluffed kick was booted up field and centre Paul Morgan took advantage of the favourable bounce to evade Karim Warde and tumble under the posts.

Dunn added: “You come away from games like that and think ‘it just wasn’t our day’.

“I looked at Junior Paramore (forwards coach) and he looked at me and we both just shook our heads. It was difficult to criticise the players who gave everything in difficult conditions.”

Lions: Warde, Mallette, Edwards, Payne, Blackburn, Ngapaku (McFarlane, 18), Chislett, Lynch (Wareham, 59), Wilford, Manning, Seward, Brooks, Hughes, Stevenson, Kiely. Unused sub: Armstrong.