RELEGATED Bournemouth brought down the curtain on a dismal National Two South campaign with a 48-27 defeat at Taunton.

Having allowed their hosts to breach their line eight times at Hyde Park, the number of tries shipped by Lions in the league this season reached 144, some 13 more than bottom club Exmouth. 

Their inability to shut out their Somerset opponents was not helped by three yellow cards which proved definitive during their last hurrah in rugby union’s fourth tier.

The visitors got off to a flying start when winger Karim Lynch dashed in with a try within the first 60 seconds and a successful conversion and penalty from Jonathan Sanchez maintained that lead, despite Daniel Lee’s unconverted effort for Taunton.

But Titans established a two-point lead on 17 minutes when Jake Woolmore’s try was converted by Gary Kingdom before spells in the sin bin started to prove costly for Bournemouth.

John Peart was the first to feel the wrath of referee Max Marsden as home duo Brett Harvey and Ratu Vakalutukali bagged tries during the visitors’ stint with 14 men.

Further efforts from Freddie Frazer and Jack Conway took the game away from Lions who then had Frazer Wilford sidelined for 10 minutes prior to Paul Davis bustling his way over the line for the hosts.

Luca Firetto quickly followed Wilford as the visitors were briefly shorn of two players, but Bournemouth rallied with tries from Lynch and Andrew Spikings.

Taunton’s Nicolas Mason and away captain Alan Manning traded further efforts late on but any hope of a positive result for Bournemouth had long gone.

Lions: Lynch, Roberts, Sutherland, Stewart, Westcott, Sanchez, Hardcastle, Spikings, Manning, Vaughan-Edwards, Firetto, Rees, Peart, Dunkerley, Booth. Replacements: Hennings, Wilford, Fulljames, Connor, Veneroso.