Harrogate's promotion drive in National League division two suffered a possibly fatal blow at leaders Bracknell whose juggernaut pack, coached by ex-England prop Paul Rendall, dominated the game.

Bracknell, as Harrogate's coach Ralph Zoing expected, played percentage rugby, kicking for position and then rumbling forward with rolling maul after maul. It was not pretty but for most of the game it was pretty effective.

Harrogate did their best to play to their strengths with what ball they won, spreading it wide and using the speed of their back line. But all their good work foundered on the rock-like home defence and their only reward was a try by stand-off Lee Cholewa - and several near misses.

Bracknell scored five tries, one of them a penalty try after Harrogate were adjudged to have taken down the last of a series of close-range scrums.

Chris Moore, Paul Boulard, Ben Nowak and Guy Spencer also crossed with Nowak kicking four conversions and three penalties.

Harrogate should perhaps have known it was not going to be their day from an early hour.

Already without influential lock Peter Taylor they suffered another blow when his RAF partner Paul Clark woke to find he could not get out of bed.

A disc problem is the likely diagnosis but it meant promotion from the bench for teenager Andrew Boyle and a place among the subs for former captain David Wheat, now 32, who travelled as a spectator.

He was called into the fray for the last 10 minutes and perhaps found it a bit more hectic than with the Veterans.

Chairman of rugby Mark Peers was realistic after the game, accepting Harrogate's promotion push was all but over and that Bracknell were firm favourites for the Championship.

"They have a big, tough pack which takes some stopping. It was strong at Claro Road in September and they have recruited since to make it even more powerful."

Updated: 13:34 Monday, February 26, 2001