LYDNEY hooker and coach Nick Nelmes was given the honour of leading his team out as he made his 400th first XV appearance for the club he has played for since he was a nipper.

Only the Morris brothers, John and Winston, and the redoubtable Owen James have made more appearances for the Regentsholme club, but Nelmes would have given up a dozen games to achieve a victory over the Cornish league leaders.

"They were too good," said Nelmes on Monday as he nursed a headache received not from celebrating his milestone appearance but from a stray boot.

Nelmes was honest in his assessment of the state of Lydney's position in mid-table.

"It's about where we should be. After starting the season well we have been disrupted by injuries and our form away from home has not been good. Six of our last seven games have been away and we have got into a losing mentality," he said.

Two tough matches face Lydney – away to North Walsham this Saturday and then at home to Penzance who are very much in the promotion hunt.

"We slipped up against Launceston but if we can get in the right frame of mind I believe we can match Penzance at Regentsholme. After that we have six of our last 10 games at home and that will very much be to our advantage," said Nelmes.

Defensive errors and some incisive running by the Cornish backs soon had Lydney in trouble.

"We had a couple of good periods but they had built up a useful lead and there was no way back," said Nelmes.