West Norfolk's dreams of achieving back-to-back promotions will not be rocked by their county cup loss to fierce rivals Holt.

That's the view of the London Three North East oufit's manager Nigel Richardson after they were beaten 27-14 at home in the Norfolk Senior Cup to a team that play in the league they are attempting to move up into. The Greene King Eastern Counties Division One champions had won their last five league matches on the bounce prior to their big test against 2NE Holt.

But while they fell to a defeat by 13 points, the man at the Gatehouse Lane helm is confident his charges can draw plenty of positives from their performance against higher-level opponents.

Richardson said: 'The lads are upbeat despite the loss and it was a tighter game than the scoreline suggests.

'If we'd been able to keep a full complement for the whole match and tidied up on the sloppy play the outcome could have been different. Now we'll look ahead as we have a tough game against Harlow.'

A couple of infringements around the ruck area allowed Holt to kick two penalties and take a 6-0 lead. Alex Singleton's try, converted by Monty Maule, put West ahead. However, the hosts were reduced to 14 men and Holt capitalised by scoring twice, and kicking the extras, to take a 20-7 lead into the interval.

A string of refereeing decisions frustrated the home side who saw two sin bins follow in quick succession but Ross Biggs' score – followed up Maule slotting between the post – took some of the harshness of the margin of defeat.

West, third, and five points off second, welcome fifth-placed Harlow tomorrow as they look to bounce back immediately.

In lower-level Greene King Eastern Counties Division One, Swaffham head to Thurston aiming to ensure they do not get dragged back into the relegation zone.

The North Pickenham Road club, 10th, are only just out of trouble thanks to a superior points difference over the side they visit tomorrow. Second-from-bottom Thurston have the same number of points as Swaffham and know a victory would help boost their chances of slowly edging towards safety.

The Norfolk club, who have lost their last two league fixtures, go into the pivotal fixture having been shown no mercy by higher-level Diss who hammered them 97-10 in the Senior Cup last time out.

Wisbech, seventh, welcome third-placed Newmarket.