HARROGATE left Bracknell reflecting on what might have been if they had taken their chances and shown a little more discipline against one of the promotion favourites in National League Division Two.

For although they matched the home side in the try count, Harrogate lost 28-25 and did not help their cause by some poor lineout play, a failing for most of last season and one which could harm their cause again this time.

Harrogate, who gave a debut to former Sale prop and Scotland Under-19s captain Alistair Milne, were down at half-time even though they had scored three tries to two.

Ed Smithies got the first after Bracknell had opened up a six-point lead through two Ben Nowak penalties and Mark Farrar, recalled to the right wing, put his side in the lead with the second.

But when Bracknell, who like to play percentage rugby and keep things tight, chose to run the ball stand-off Jerry Costeloe crossed for Nowak to add the conversion.

Harrogate stormed back with the try of the game. It began with a Matt Duncombe tap penalty inside his own half and after slick handing had taken the ball 20 yards upfield, it reached Lee Cholewa.

After that it was all the stand-off as he dummied and jinked his way to the line - and added the conversion for good measure.

But with Harrogate down to 14 men - lock John Dudley sin-binned for killing the ball - scrum-half Chris Perkins scrambled over to give the home side a one-point interval lead.

Bracknell began the second half the stronger and after a penalty to touch they won the lineout and drove flanker Dougie Harrison over to open a six point gap.

Harrogate captain Rhys Morgan reduced it to one, breaking blind from a scrum to go over in the corner, but that man Harrison restored the six-point advantage after Smithies had been yellow-carded, judged to have thrown a punch.

Harrogate spent the last period pounding the Bracknell line but all they had to show for their efforts was a penalty from Cholewa.

Updated: 11:26 Monday, September 30, 2002