Coach John Mitchell fumed over the breakdown "free-for-all" after the Western Force's Super 14 semi-final hopes nose-dived with a 32-29 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria.

Mitchell's men scored four tries to three, but the Bulls kicked five penalties to one to consolidate a top three spot.

The faster-finishing Force slashed a second-half deficit from 16 points to three points but their stirring final-quarter fightback netted them just two bonus points.

The loss left the Force in ninth place, five points behind the fourth-placed Sharks with only two rounds remaining.

Victories in their last two matches against the Stormers in Cape Town and the Highlanders in Perth are unlikely to be enough to secure the Perth-based side a maiden finals appearance.

Even if the Sharks lose to the Waratahs next week, the Force would be relying on NSW, the Crusaders, Brumbies and Blues to slip up in one of their last two games.

"We can't control what other people do, we've got to concentrate on our own performance," Mitchell said.

Mitchell didn't directly criticise Australian referee Stuart Dickinson, but couldn't hide his disappointment at the way the game was handled at the breakdown.

"I was very proud of the boys, their effort was huge. The first half, we were right in the contest," Mitchell said.

"We had a patch just after halftime which was costly. At the breakdown, they got away with a bit on the floor, but our boys hung in there.

"We actually finished better at altitude then they did. I thought it was a credit to the guys, but the breakdown was a free-for-all tonight.

"I think they got away with too much on the floor, the tackler was off their feet, that stifled a lot of our ball and we were on the receiving end of some long-arm (penalties).

"I'd say we finished the better of the two but the five penalties were the difference."

The Force led twice in the first half, but the Bulls raced clear in the third quarter, scoring 11 unanswered points.

The Force led 5-3 after fullback Drew Mitchell pounced on a perfectly judged chip kick from five-eighth Matt Giteau.

In a see-sawing first half, Springboks winger Bryan Habana zipped through the Force defence to put the Bulls 8-7 up.

A Giteau penalty gave his team a 10-8 advantage, but a converted try to prop Werner Kruger gave the Bulls a 15-10 half-time lead.

Fullback Zane Kirchner rounding off a fluent move 57 seconds after the restart, with five-eighth Morne Steyn adding two penalties.

Force winger Cameron Shepherd crossed after a well executed move from a lineup, but Steyn kicked another penalty to give the Bulls a 29-15 buffer.

A converted try to replacement Josh Tatupu got the Force to within seven points, but a penalty to Burton Francis, who took over the kicking duties while Steyn was sin-binned for an illegal tackle, nudged the lead back into double figures.

A converted try to centre Ryan Cross slashed the deficit to three inside the last three minutes.

Centre James O'Connor came off the ground in the first half with a knock to his collarbone and Mitchell said the full extent to the injury would be known in the next couple of days.

He said Giteau suffered a bruised knee while winger Scott Staniforth required some stitches.

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