LACKLUSTRE Ellingham and Ringwood are on the brink of a second demotion.

The Parsonage Bane Lane outfit stepped ever close to relegation from Snows Hampshire One after a 29-15 defeat to Millbrook.

That was their final game of the season and, although they sit one place above Petersfield on the same number of points (22), they have a game in hand.

Depending on Saturday's result, Es could suffer relegation to Division 2 - a season after they were demoted from London 3 South West.

Millbrook opened the scoring with a well-finished try from captain Mike Randell. Ellingham reduced the deficit to 5-3 when their centre Ali Bennett kicked a penalty. Their wing three quarter Callum Butler then hit a great line to score under the posts. Bennett added the conversion to give the home side a 10-8 lead at the break.

The away side started the second half the stronger and scored two converted tries to open up a 22-10 lead.

The Ellingham scrum half Dave Jones then finished off a good move a minute before full time and it looked as if they had secured an important losing bonus point. But the game was far from over, as the referee found 13 minutes of injury time from somewhere and Millbrook took an interception to increase their lead to 29-15 and gain an important winning bonus point.

The seconds, meanwhile, picked up a 28-12 win over Dorchester.

The home side scored two first half tries through scrum half Ben Carey and prop forward Lee McKeith. Their fly half Alex McGuire kicked one conversion and a penalty, but it was the visitors that led 15-17 at the break.

In the second half, Ellingham scored two further tries through back row forwards Stu Pearce and Matt Karelus. Alex McGuire also kicked another penalty to make the final score 28-22.