If Rosslyn Park fail to achieve promotion this season they will surely look back ruefully at this match, played in conditions not exactly conducive to running rugby.

Worthing fought every inch of the way, but – with all due respect to them - they were not the sort of side potential promotion contenders should lose to.

Park gave it everything in terms of effort, but it often looked as if they were revving up a wonky engine. Sometimes it’s just not your day.

In the absence of the experienced Graham Barr, playing Sevens in Dubai, Park gave a debut to young scrum half Rhodri Needham in the most difficult possible circumstances: a cloying, wet pitch and persistent heavy drizzle, plus opposition that gave no one time to settle.

The youngster’s difficulties in adapting immediately to National League level in these conditions made it difficult for Park to launch their dangerous backs, but it is too simplistic to put this defeat down to one facet of play.

It is to be hoped that this baptism of fire does not affect his confidence because he is a genuinely talented player.

An early bout of aerial ping pong was resolved in Worthing’s favour, and the home side dominated the early play, forcing a scrummage on the Park 22, though the defence dealt with it comfortably enough.

Park’s forwards eventually won slightly more possession than did Worthing in what had degenerated into a turgid mid-field slog.

Park’s cause was not helped when skipper Rob Jewell had to leave the fray after 25 minutes, though his replacement, Billy O’Driscoll, would walk into most starting XVs at this level.

The match continued with lack of any incident worth describing: the only time the ball seemed to arrive in either 22 was by the aerial route.

As the interval approached the Worthing scrum half attempted a drop goal, more in frustration than conviction if judged by the execution.

They also badly sliced a kickable penalty but the home side were often under pressure and conceding penalties: the referee’s patience gave out as he dispatched their stand-off and best player, Ben Dudley, to the bin.

If ever a score line summed up a match it was 0-0 at half time in this one.

But there had to be hope that Park would find their way after the interval, especially starting against 14 men.

They attacked from the start, Laidlaw had a good run through the middle and then finally broke the deadlock with a penalty for 3-0 after 5 minutes.

Park were now beginning to look more dangerous; Mark Lock made a good run out of defence, Laidlaw put through a telling grubber kick, park drove to within 2 metres of the Worthing line.

But mostly it was stalemate, with the emphasis decidedly on stale. Worthing had a useful counter-attack, caught Park offside and Dudley put his side level with a penalty.

Both sides missed penalties. A good run by James Strong, who had largely been starved of the ball, put Park back on the attack, and Park made a real all-out assault to try to break the deadlock but Worthing were eventually able to hack the ball away to set up a small counter-attack on their own.

Strong almost managed to seal it with a darting run up the right.

Just as it looked as if the match would peter out in a 3-3 draw, Park forced a penalty which Laidlaw gratefully slotted over.

With only 90 seconds left on the referee’s watch, that looked to be it.

However, Park fumbled the kick off and conceded a penalty. Worthing opted to hoof it into the corner and go for the catch and drive.

They mounted a huge drive to the line but were met by an obdurate defence, surge met by counter-surge, neither side able to afford to concede a penalty.

It was probably more in hope than expectation that Worthing eventually tried passing the ball along the line, but when it reached Dudley he spotted the crucial gap and was mobbed by his delighted team mates.

The referee blew for time as soon as the conversion was missed. Park were left with a solitary losing bonus point from a match they will have targeted for five.

A single defeat will not cost them promotion, but if not addressed the inconsistency that this performance underlined just might.

Park: Davies; Strong, Sweeney, Jewell (O’Driscoll), Fenner; Laidlaw; Needham (Pugh); Huggett, Ritchie, Collier; Quigley, Gates; M Jones, Barrett, Lock.

Subs (not playing): Daw, Williams, Anayi.

Park scorer: Laidlaw (2P)