Fielding a side beset with injuries and containing so many young players meant that Diss found their fixture against fourth in the table Old Haberdashers very demanding.

Losing Shaun Blyth to a further leg injury hampered the Diss midfield, with Freddie Precious stepping into the breech in midfield and as always giving it everything.

Having conceded an early penalty Diss enjoyed parity for most of the first quarter, with Ben Brown showing a willingness to get involved for one so young and inexperienced at this level.

The Diss front five held their own all afternoon, giving the Thomson/Jones half back pairing something to work from. These two youngsters certainly did just that all afternoon.

Old Haberdashers are placed in the higher reaches of the league because they possess a potent and dangerous back division that cut Diss to pieces in the second quarter as they scored four unanswered tries.

Diss dominated possession for long periods in the second half. Ali Brooks and George Easton both competed with ferocity on the floor and Jo Hegarty created a platform through the midfield from which to attack the Habs' line.

A lack of precision and ultimately inexperience meant that Diss failed to cross the whitewash.

Old Haberdashers rarely entered the Diss half in the second half and brave defence from the entire team restricting the home side to only two further tries, one being a lucky interception.

Diss ended the game without any points, something that they did not deserve but which ultimately highlighted a lack of match winners and decision makers at crucial times.

The likes of Chris Beaird, John Laurie and Warren Wilby would certainly have given the team that cutting edge but it was yet another brave and wholehearted performance from a very young Diss side.