London Cornish came up short in their London Division Two South West play-off final, but director of rugby Dickon Moon could not find fault with his players’ spirit.

Medway made the step up to London One South rugby after a 29-12 win over the exiles in Kent.

Josh Allison kicked four from four, but they could not overcome the threat of their hosts – however, it remained a best-ever season for Moon’s men.

He said: “We have achieved our pre-season goal of topping our previous best ever finish in the league structure.

“What this defeat tells us is that we are not quite ready for the step up despite winning 29 of our last 34 games at this level.

“Medway were able to nullify our chief threats in the set piece, and though we defended magnificently, the level of aggression they brought to the breakdown made it tough for us to create quick, clean ball.

“Tom [Sincock] and I were delighted with the way we finished the game, and for the last 10 minutes we showed real spirit given the game had all but gone.

“We all agreed post match that this is the beginning for us - while we wish Medway well at the level above.”