MAIDENHEAD Rugby Club have been sucked into a desperate relegation dog-fight, after losing a crunch encounter in the West Country.
With up to four teams going down, Maids really needed to beat Keynsham on Saturday to ensure their survival in South West Division 1.
However, the Bristol side inflicted a damaging 31-19 defeat on their guests and are now just two points behind Maidenhead, with a superior points difference and a game in hand.
The crisis was further deepened by Chinnor’s victory at Swanage, and Stroud’s impressive win at Dings Crusaders, which also ended Dings’ 100 per cent home record.
This combination of results means Maids could now win their two remaining matches and still be demoted.
Worse still, Dings’ defeat means they must now win their two remaining games if they hope to gain promotion, one of which is at Maidenhead in two weeks’ time.
Coach Simon Edwards said: “It’s a nightmare scenario.
“I’m glad Cheltenham won on Saturday, otherwise they would have been in the relegation battle as well – and we still have to play them away from home. They’re safe now, which should make life a bit easier for us, but it’s a travesty that a team with 18 points is in danger of relegation.
“We just have to hope other results go our way now, which they haven’t done for the last three weeks.”
One piece of good news for Maids is that Keynsham still have to play Barnstaple, who are currently second and chasing promotion.
However, Edwards said it was now down to his players to dig themselves out of a hole of their own making.
He said: “It’s a game we could and should have won, but a number of big game players failed to perform. They will have to take a long hard look at themselves. They have put us in this position and they only have themselves to blame.”
Unfortunately, injuries may play a major role in the battle for survival, after Rene Dance, Rob Wells and Richard Miller all picked up knocks on Saturday.
Edwards added: “The old injury jinks has come back to haunt us.”
Maids now have a two week break from the league.
On a brighter front, Maidenhead’s excellent Colts take on Northampton in the quarter-finals of the National Knock-out Cup at Braywick on Sunday, kick-off 3pm.
Edwards said: “It’s a massive game for the club. We played the holders Gloucester in the first round and they treated us like a village side. But no-one has made that mistake since.
“Northampton will have done their homework and will know we have only lost once in the last two years.
“We are the current champions of the North of England Tournament and we are in the finals of the Berkshire Cup and the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Cup.
“We are putting Maidenhead on the map.”
Victory on Sunday would mean a semi-final showdown against Bath.
Edwards concluded: “I’m not looking beyond Sunday, but to play Bath at home would be fantastic.”

Bray-based scrum-half Simon Duncombe has been dropped from the England side for tomorrow’s Six Nations clash with Wales.
Fit again Matt Dawson, who also went to RGS High Wycombe, takes his place on the bench.