SALISBURY II 27

DORCHESTER 17

A BRAVE second-half comeback wasn’t quite enough for Dorchester to manage an unlikely away win at Salisbury.

As so often this season, Dorchester went into the game with a host of changes. So it was no surprise that they made a slow start.

Two early, unconverted tries for the hosts made it look like it was going to be long hard afternoon for the visitors.

But, Dorchester began to get going and Jamie Morgan was unlucky to see his kick roll into touch when he was odds-on to score.

A third unconverted try for Salisbury was quickly followed by a first Dorchester try. After sucking in the Salisbury forwards, some slick passing freed Cameron Lynch to cross the line. It looked as though Dorchester would reach the break without conceding again but, some missed tackles allowed Salisbury to score.

The visitors looked like a different side after the break, dominating territory and possession, putting their opponents under pressure.

It was a matter of time before the visitors added to their score and sure enough George Foot’s pin-point cross kick saw wing Mark Matthews dive on the ball for his first try for the visitors.

The conversion was missed but Dorchester were soon on the attack again and it was Foot who created the space for Matt Fry to touch down. Fry converted, and with the gap now only five points, the momentum was with the away side.

Salisbury, however, managed to control the final few minutes of the game, keeping Dorchester pinned in their own 22 and forcing them to take one too many risks. The result being a fifth try for the hosts and no bonus point for Dorchester.

Dorchester: T Evans, J Underhill, Inwood, Makepeace, Elliott, Ansell, Gill, Robson; Dale, Foot; Moss, M Fry, Morgan, Matthews; Lynch.