Parr Hare & Hounds 10 Kirkholt 46 HOUNDS ended their season with a spirited performance against promotion hopefuls Kirkholt in a game that was much closer than the scoreline suggests.

Indeed, for long periods the homesters were the better side and if they could have turned early second-half pressure into points it would have been a close-run thing.

Hounds were once again punished for defensive lapses and after taking an early lead with a penalty by scrum-half Kevin Parylo they quickly found themselves trailing as the visitors raced in for four tries.

Another Parylo penalty on the stroke of half-time seemed to lift the home side and they were camped inside the Kirkholt for the first 15 minutes of the second-half. They couldn't break through though and the turning came when the visitors' elusive stand-off Den Butterworth was awarded a long-range try against the run of play -- despite appearing to step into touch en route.

This setback was a sickener for Hounds and three more Kirkholt tries followed in quick succession.

To their credit Hounds kept plugging away and they were finally rewarded when hard-working prop Mark Houghton latched onto a pass from veteran Frank Martin to go over, with Parylo adding the goal.

Kirkholt had the final say though with another long-range try in the last minute.

Best for Hounds were Houghton, fellow prop Karl Grounds, second-row Ian Sherwood, Parylo and full-back Wayne Ashcroft.