Cornish Pirates have missed out on a place in the Champ play-offs after losing 30-21 at Hartpury.
Going into the game seventh-placed Pirates had to win the game in order to have a chance of leapfrogging their sixth-placed hosts into the final play-off spot.
But, in their first game since new American investment was unveiled in the club, Pirates were unable to get over the line and finished seventh.
The Penzance-based side led 7-6 at the break as Chester Ribbons’ try was sandwiched between two Harry Bazalgette penalties.
Morgan Nelson increased the lead to 14-6 five minutes after the break, but two tries in six minutes saw the hosts lead 18-14 as Josh Field and Will Knight went over.
But Pirates took a three-point lead with 22 minutes left as Sol Moody went over.
However, Pirates’ advantage lasted just six minutes as Knight got his second try to put Hartpury 25-21 up.
Any hope of a comeback was dashed with five minutes to go as Arwel Robson was sin-binned before the hosts got a try through Ethan Hunt to earn a bonus point.
“It’s massive disappointment,” Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.
“I’m proud of the effort to get to this point, it looked like the season was running away from us, but proud of the guys for sticking in it.
“Even at half-time I thought there was a couple of moments in that first half, we’d have been a couple of tries up, but it wasn’t to be.
“We lost the key moments in that second half and I’m bitterly disappointed for the boys as I know what effort they put in.
“Physically I thought we were there today, two good Champ teams going at it, but ultimately as the scoreline suggests, Hartpury won some of those key moments.”