Dawson: Early red card galvanised Taunton

Taunton were reduced to 14 men on ten minutes when Alec Chase was sent off for the use of a knee at the breakdown.

However, the hosts still went on to win 30-12 and Dawson said: “It was a very frustrating defeat as we just struggled to take our chances again.

“We had a few people missing and the red card seemed to galvanise their whole team.

“We’ve had it in the past where you raise your game when you have a player in the sinbin and they were fighting for their lives as they felt there was a sense of injustice with the decision.

“I didn’t really see what happened but Taunton aren’t known as a dirty side, so it was fairly unexpected.

“Maybe we relaxed a bit too much and it now makes Saturday’s game at home to Dorking a big one.

“Everyone wants to play in big games – obviously you’d rather they be at the top of the league – but this is a big game now to stay in the league and we need a big crowd to come out and support us.”

Alex Nielsen and Scott Barlow will both return, as could Josh Elliott, and Dawson said: “We’ve got guys coming back in and it will be great to have Alex available.

“In our last home game against Canterbury, he scored a try just before half-time that no one else in the team would have got and that gave us the momentum to go on and win.”

Saturday’s game kicks-off at 3pm at Roundstone Lane.

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