BOSS Will Croker watched Bournemouth stage a dramatic second-half comeback – and admitted it had been one of the proudest moments in his coaching career.

The Lions head coach nearly lost his voice at half-time when he shouted at his players after the South West Premier table-toppers had fallen 15-3 behind against Brixham.

He shunned the warmer changing rooms to offer stern words to his charges out on the pitch, which resulted in scores for Mike Pope and Karim Lynch in the dying moments to clinch a 20-18 triumph.

Croker told the Daily Echo: “It was one of my proudest moments as a coach actually - that second-half performance - because I gave them a bit of a roasting at half-time.

“That isn’t normally my style but in the first half we were too inaccurate with too much ball going to ground.

“But to then keep the ball for something like six minutes and somewhere between 40 and 45 phases is the sign of a championship-winning team and that is the sign of guys who have utter belief in one another.”

Brixham left wing Andre Simonetti gave his side the lead after six minutes when he dotted down out wide with Mitch Pinkus unable to improve.

The Devon side’s fly-half was able to add a successful penalty after 22 minutes to increase their advantage to 8-0.

This came after Bournemouth kicker Grant Hancox had failed to split the posts with two shots at goal of his own.

However, the outside centre was not to miss a third straight attempt when he sent the ball between the uprights with half-an-hour gone.

At 8-3, the visitors now had a base camp to build from but that was soon snuffed out with the second Brixham try just before the break.

With the referee playing a generous advance, a high Gary Owen clearance kick from Lions was caught by Pinkus.

He then unleashed inside centre Tom McLean through the middle on a scything line to score near the posts, with Pinkus adding the extras to make it 15-3 at half-time.

Hancox ate into the advantage with a successful penalty just two minutes into the second period for 15-6.

Fortune then smiled on the visitors when Brixham had a try ruled out for a forward pass.

Pinkus stretched out the lead to 12 points when he struck another penalty on the hour to set up a frantic finale.

With five minutes left, Bournemouth were rewarded for their persistence with penalty after penalty inside the Brixham 22.

They opted for the five-metre scum where stand-off Pope dived over to score, with Hancox cutting the gap to 18-13.

Five minutes into added time, and with the visitors camped on the Brixham whitewash, full-back Lynch stole under the posts with Hancox sealing success with the pressure kick.

Croker added: “I am incredibly proud of my players - like I have been of them all season - but I am proud of the whole set-up.

“I am proud of the coaching team, I am proud of the seconds - who won away at Bury St Edmunds first team having left early in the morning - and I am proud of this whole lot.”