DAVID Dunn insisted Lions were relishing the opportunity to capitalise on their second shot at glory after being handed a shock title lifeline.

The Bournemouth director of rugby’s comments came as he delivered his verdict on a dream weekend for the National Three South West front-runners.

Lions were celebrating their 67-3 win at basement outfit Bridgwater & Albion when news of a surprise defeat for rivals Chinnor filtered through to the dressing room.

The Oxfordshire outfit surrendered their 100 per cent record when they fell to a 22-19 home loss at the hands of Barnstaple.

That result offered Lions renewed hope of finishing top of the table and claiming an automatic promotion place – which they are likely to do if they can avenge their defeat against Chinnor from earlier in the campaign when the teams meet at Chapel Gate on March 24.

Dunn told the Daily Echo: “It has thrown the whole thing wide open.

“Chinnor no longer have that cushion and it quite simply boils down to the fact that if we beat Chinnor and don’t slip up anywhere else, then we will win the league outright.

“Our players were given a real lift by that result. Before Saturday and after our result against Redingensians, even if we were to have beaten Chinnor, we would have been relying on other results.

“But now our destiny is totally in our own hands.

“We just can’t wait for the game against Chinnor.”

A James Flynn try and two from Robbie Searle put Lions 15-3 up at half-time against battling Bridgwater on Saturday.

But the Dorset outfit moved through the gears after the break and ran out comfortable winners as Searle completed his hat-trick.

Sam Hardcastle scored twice, with Robert Bruce, Dan Mallard, Jack Hennings, Dan Connolly and fit-again Karim Lynch also crossing the whitewash. Dan Pollard added six conversions.

Dunn added: “We were very disappointed after losing to Redingensians. We were much more purposeful and much more intense in our preparation and it showed in a really good performance.”

Lions: K Lynch, Searle, Connolly, Bruce, Flynn, Pollard, Hardcastle (Mallard, 61), Wiseman, Wilford, Manning, Hughes, Forrest (Seward, 54), Hennings, Dunkerley (Cawley, 56), Hart.