Peterborough Lions and Spalding suffer points deductions after that game with 30 red cards

Luke Palu scored a try for Peterborough Lions against Vipers. Photo: David Lowndes.

Five of those points have been suspended until December.

Lions chairman Andy Moore said: “We are very, very disappointed with the outcome and we will be appealing the decision, and I expect Spalding will do the same.”

The loss of five points will drop Lions from ninth to 11th in the 12-team Counties 1 Midlands East League and leave them in danger of relegation for a fourth season in a row.

Both teams believed the referee at the match at Bretton Park over-reacted to a standard bout of rugby union argy-bargy.

Lions started strongly and finished well, but lost their Counties Midlands 1 East fixture 30-24 at hope to Vipers last weekend.

Two tries from Dylan Evans helped Lions into a 12-8 lead, but Vipers ran in three tries in 10 second half minutes to take control of the contest.

Lions kept plugging away though and tries in the last 10 minutes from second row Cam Prior and number eight Luke Palu plus two conversions from play-making fly-half Will Moore ensured the city side picked up two bonus points.

Lions gave a debut to powerful 18 year-old 6ft 4ins, 18 stone prop Tomas Clark who is from Auckland, New Zealand.

Lions have a tough game at in-form Bourne on Saturday.