Somerset missed out on promotion to the Bill Beaumont Cup Division One South and a place in Sunday's Twickenham final after they lost 40-36 to the North Midlands at Bridgwater.
The hosts went into the game with one of their strongest squads in years, but without fly-half Dan Hawkes due to a toe injury.
Moseley full-back Caolan Ryan and Hartpury fly-half Luke Cozens exchanged early penalties before Somerset appeared to take control with a try from Wellington wing Ally Taylor and a penalty try.
Cozens converted the penalty try, but Ryan reduced the arrears at the break to 15-9.
It was the North Midlands who got the second half's first points on the board through a try from Coventry wing Callum MacBurnie, which Ryan converted.
Somerset replied as Couzens converted his own try.
Drew Cheshire kept the scoreboard ticking over with another try for the visitors only for Taylor to reply with two more tries, both converted by Couzens, to give Somerset a 36-21 lead.
North Midlands came back with tries from Moseley's Stef Thorpe and Luctonians' Will Burton, with Ryan adding one conversion.
With the lead down to three points, Somerset lost Mitch Spencer to a strange tip-tackle decision and Danny Hodge needlessly to the sin-bin.
North Midlands took advantage of the extra men, fly-half Burton crossing for his second try, which Ryan converted, to snatch victory.
Gloucestershire avoided relegation from the top tier of County Championship rugby thanks to a 36-20 victory over Kent in the Bill Beaumont Cup Division One South.
The visitors started the game well, but it was Gloucestershire who had a 14-10 half-time lead after Kent had taken the lead through a penalty from Westcombe Park fly-half Joe Simpson.
Gloucestershire took control as scrum-half Sam Arnott touched down. Captain Mike Wilcox added the extras.
However, Gloucestershire were caught napping at the restart as Simpson sprinted through before putting flanker James Lindfield in. Simpson duly converted.
The home side hit back with a George Boulton try with Wilcox adding the conversion.
Gloucestershire increased their lead early in the second half as Codlin scored. Wilcox added the extras.
Simpson pulled three points back for the visitors with his second penalty of the game, but Spencer Sutherland exchanged passes with fellow wing Lloyd Stapleton for Gloucestershire's fourth try.
Wilcox added a penalty before replacement Jimmy Green scored a consolation try for the visitors. Stapleton had the final word with another try that Wilcox converted.
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