Canterbury Rugby Club head coach Andy Pratt hopes his side’s first win of the National 2 South season is just around the corner.

After a stoppage-time try earned Clifton a one-point win at Merton Lane on the opening day, the city club allowed a lead to slip to a 24-14 defeat in the final 10 minutes at Cambridge on Saturday.

However, Pratt refused to be downbeat and declared himself happy with the showing which got them close to victory at a side freshly down from National 1.

He said: “Cambridge are a good side and were always going to be difficult. A lot of people thought we would go there and get thrashed.

“When they were down to 14, we had a couple of penalties but we couldn’t quite create any real try-scoring opportunities which might have won us the game and in the end we let them off the hook.

“Overall, I would say I was happy with the performance, if not the result. I was proud of how we played at a tough place to go.”

The city club host Cornish side Launceston on Saturday and Pratt admitted: “We know we can not take them lightly. The travelling obviously favours us but we have not done as well at home as we’d like.

“I don’t want to make excuses but we do have a long injury-list and it feels like we’re not getting the luck at the moment, in terms of little decisions here and there.

“Hopefully, that can turn in our favour at the weekend.”

Sam Rogers could ease Pratt’s injury headache with a return on Saturday.