WILL Croker believes Bournemouth paid the price for allowing their intensity to drop in the first half of Saturday’s 27-23 defeat by Dings Crusaders.

The head coach sets great store by his team’s ability to wear down their opponents, but Dings touched down three times to secure a 20-6 half-time lead at Landseer Avenue.

Bournemouth turned things round in the second half, Alex Everett-Bolter and captain Alan Manning both scoring converted tries.

But after edging 23-20 ahead – and with their hosts reduced to 13 men following two dismissals – there was late heartbreak for Lions when Dings crossed following a spell of concerted pressure.

Croker told the Daily Echo: “It very quickly became clear we weren’t at the races. We were lethargic and sluggish in places.

“We were leaving holes for them to exploit. At half-time, we were disappointed with what we’d shown. But we didn’t want to panic. There was no shouting and screaming and hollering.

“We analysed what we'd done well and what we know works for us, then tried to string that together to challenge them.”

After seeing his team score 17 unanswered points following the interval, Croker was confident their superior conditioning would see them home.

The only explanation for Bournemouth ultimately letting victory slip through their fingers, he says, was a collective belief the game had been won.

“We genuinely felt it was a case of pushing on and trying to secure the bonus point (awarded for scoring four tries),” said Croker. “But perhaps we thought the job was done. We made a couple of errors and invited pressure on to ourselves. They pummelled our line and eventually the pressure told.”

Defeat in Bristol, which left Bournemouth fifth in National Three South West, was the third time this season the Lions had returned from their travels wondering how they had lost – a source of immense frustration for the boss.

“If somebody wants to come out and absolutely batter us and show us how to play rugby then you hold your hands up and accept they were the better side,” said Croker. “But we’ve not felt like that in any of the games so far. Had we won those matches, we’d be top of the league.”

Croker is already turning his attentions to his side's next match on October 22 when Bournemouth host sixth-placed Hornets.

“We have to get straight back on the horse and understand home games are crucial in this division,” he said. “Because there’s so much travelling involved it’s difficult to expect to win your away games.

“No one’s going to roll over and die for us. They’ve all got aspirations and game plans - and coaches screaming at them. We have to accept it won’t always go to plan. How you react in those circumstances is a measure of the team.

“We did deal with the threat the opposition posed on Saturday – but unfortunately it took us a whole half to come to terms with it.”