MARLOW RFC arrived at Milton Keynes expecting the journey to be the most arduous part of their day, and duly got their comeuppance.

That is the view of head coach Richard Kinsey, whose team lost their 100 per cent Southern Counties North record with a shock 8-6 defeat.

Milton Keynes were thrashed in their first game and failed to raise a team for their second, while Marlow went from strength to strength with opening wins over High Wycombe and Thatcham.

Kinsey said: “Some of the boys have a lot of soul searching to do.

“It was one of those scenarios where you think you’re going to win just by getting out of the car.

“They’re not professional athletes and they’re not going to be so it’s very hard to insist on how they prepare. They were very hard on themselves afterwards, but you can be as hard at you like in the dressing room, it still doesn’t change the fact that you’ve lost a game you shouldn’t have.”

Marlow can point to an illness ruling out scrum half Hugo Jafari on the morning of the match and enforced changes across the front row, but Kinsey says they’re just excuses.

He said: “We had to make some changes but the players that came in aren’t responsible for a lackadaisical performance from some of the senior players.

“We just didn’t play well and the players were under no illusions that I was disappointed.”

Marlow have a weekend off now before returning to action against Royal Wootton Bassett, who are one point and one place behind them.

Kinsey said: “Every game is important, whether you’ve won the week before or lost the week before.”