A disallowed try was the only difference between a win and a bonus point loss for Chichester on a long trip to North Dorset.
A late try from flanker Tyrese Makasi brought the blues within a point of a comeback to continue their winning ways in a second half comeback but the visitors ran out of time to seal the deal.
The loss comes as Chichester squandered a first half try which would have seen them nearly equalise with a forward pass.
Chichester put the hosts under pressure from the off and Joel Andrews continued his try-scoring form from last season by evading three tackles and dotting down in the corner for the first score of the afternoon.
But North Dorset dominated in the scrum and the visitors conceded a string of penalties which resulted in a scrum try and a sin bin for Chichester.
Chichester were forced into uncontested scrums by injuries and the hosts changed tact after losing their set piece advantage.
A rolling maul from the lineout continued to press their pack’s weight advantage and bundled over the whitewash for their second try.
Chichester nearly narrowed the score on the stroke of half time through a back line break but a final forward pass saw the score chalked off.
North Dorset found a gap in the Chichester defence to score from a pick and go and take a 20-5 lead before the Blues kicked a penalty to the corner in a bid to secure more points.
Substitute Dan Heriot took the ball at the lineout and released back rower Tyler Babb who touched down in the corner for a score.
A scrappy 20 minutes ended with North Dorset penetrating the Chichester defensive line for their bonus try and Chichester were reduced to 14 men once again.
With less than ten minutes to go debutant Jamie Kinnimont finished off a lifeline try for Chichester before capitalising on a North Dorset penalty just metres from their own try line.
A set of carries ended with Makasi bulldozing over the try line in the dying seconds of the game, securing a fourth score and two losing bonus points.
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