Lions produced a lacklustre performance to slip to an unexpected defeat against struggling Hull Ionians and they now face a difficult few winter weeks trying to consolidate their mid-table league position.

Ionians had all the early pressure and centre James Greene made it count with a fourth-minute try from his own grubber kick. Ferguson missed the conversion.

The game then became a rather sterile battle with neither side able to find really fluent play and the ball being kicked into opposition space or often straight into opposition hands with no obvious gain for the kicking side.

Lions had some promising positions but failed to capitalise upon and they just failed to get on the scoreboard on 21 minutes when stand-in kicker Jack Green saw his 36-metre penalty hit the right-hand post.

On 32 minutes, Lions chased a kick and Ionians winger Oliver Marns missed his clearance prod but stopped two Rugby players getting to the ball for an easy score. Marns was sinbinned.

Then flanker Dan Hague was also sinbinned and Lions had a big opportunity to win the game against 13 players.

They did score one try when Phil Reed’s low kick and follow-up pressure gave Tom Harris the chance to score. Green added the conversion to give Rugby a 7-5 interval lead although by then Toby Handley had had to leave the pitch with an injury.

The second half was as sterile as the first for the most part with just as many long kicks to no great effect.

Lions looked steadier in the scrums and lineouts after making three replacements around the hour mark but still could not carve out clearcut scoring opportunities as in the earlier part of their season.

Ionians missed two kickable penalties but when Rugby gifted them another one on 69 minutes, Joe Wright gave his side what proved to be the decisive score.

Lions couldn’t mount a really strong comeback with Hull content to run down the time and Lions now have two difficult away games to try to rediscover their best form.

Rugby Lions: Andrews, Marston, Goode, Reed, Harris, Green, Handley, Williams, Burchnall, Pateman, Campton, Braband, Humphrey, Nash, Walton. Reps: Warner, Price, Barker, Weaver, Major