Huntingdon saw defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in a grandstand finish at The Racecourse yesterday.

The Stags suffered a second successive Midlands Division One East loss when a last-gasp penalty earned Bugbrooke a 29-27 verdict.

The late twist arrived only seconds after Huntingdon had hit the front for the first time courtesy of Tom Morgan’s high-quality try and Daniel Malem’s successful.

They had been behind for 75 of the previous 79 minutes after an early try edged Bugbrooke ahead.

Malem reduced the arrears with the first of four successful penalties in the first half to keep Stags in touch at the break when 19-12 down against opponents who added two further tries to their collection.

Malem’s trusty boot further reduced the arrears as Huntingdon dominated territory, but a rare Bugbrooke foray forward resulted in a converted try.

Wayne Bradley responded by crossing the line only for Malem’s conversion attempt to hit a post, leaving Stags with a six-point deficit entering the closing stages.

That dramatically turned into a one-point advantage when Morgan touched down and Malem guided over the conversion, but their joy was short-lived as Bugbrooke had the final say.