Action from Barking's clash with Dings Crusaders. Pic: Kevin Foley

National Two South: Barking 19 Dings Crusaders 33

Barking director of rugby Dean Cutting feels his team’s individual errors are continuing to cost them dearly after they fell to their seventh straight National Two South defeat of the season to nearest rivals Dings Crusaders.

And it was the boot of club captain Craig Ratford which proved most pivotal as he missed four kicks at goal on their way to the defeat.

But Cutting is disappointed his side are continually letting themselves down with individual mistakes.

“The performance was better but it was those personal mistakes which cost us once again,” said Cutting.

“Craig missed four kicks at goal and neither I or anyone else at the club have ever known him not to convert so many. It would have made the score a lot closer, but at least we are giving ourselves chances.

“We highlighted this as a crucial game and we are disappointed we haven’t picked up our first points. But you cannot factor individual errors into training and we have to stop them if we want to turn it around.”

This clash was the perfect opportunity to pick up the first win of the season, but the visitors to Gale Street picked up the first points after four minutes when winger Steven Taylor went over and Mark Woodrow slotted over the conversion.

It proved to be the exact opposite of Ratford for Woodrow who slotted over two conversions, two penalties and a drop goal in a 13-point haul.

The visiting fly-half successfully kicked a penalty, while Ratford struggled, though he did convert James Fouracre’s try after 20 minutes.

Dings were 13-7 up at the break after another Woodrow penalty and scored from the restart through James Oakley.

Francis Ambrose pulled a score back for Barking with a try, while Oliver Forrest took over the kicking duties and kicked the extras.

But Dings scored two tries inside five minutes which won them the game when first Oakley crossed for his second of the day and then Rob Dempsey secured the fourth bonus-point winning try.

Replacement Connor O’Toole crossed with 20 minutes remaining but a drop goal eight minutes from time for Woodrow sealed the win for Dings.

Barking have added former defensive coach Nick Warren back to their set-up and hope to have a few new faces in this weekend when they make the trip to Cambridgeshire to take on third placed Shelford.

“Nick will hopefully help us in that department but at the end of the day us coaches cannot stick in the shoulder for the players, they have to do that themselves,” added Cutting.

“We had words after the match and hopefully that has given the players the kick up the back side they need.”

Barking: Forrest, Baffour-Awuah, Udo-Udoma, Mead, Foster, Ratford, Fouracre, Ambrose, R Anderson, S John, Kearsey, James-Nicholls, M Anderson, Yellowlees, Peasnall. Replacements: N John, McFarlane, O’Toole, Quirk, Lowe.