8:31am Tuesday 9th September 2008
By Ky Capel
COOPER AVON TYRES 17 WEYMOUTH 3 WEYMOUTH were dumped out of the EDF Energy Senior Vase after losing 17-3 at Monmouth Avenue in their first round tie with Cooper Avon Tyres.
Captain Tony Worle was disappointed with the defeat but is more concerned with his side's upcoming Dorset & Wilts One South campaign.
He said: "The wheels came off a bit on Saturday, it was just a bad day at the office really. We failed to get parity in the forwards and they were busier than us.
"We defended fantastically well at times and the backs did well in attack when they got the ball but we only had about 25 per cent of possession and that is never going to be enough to win you the game.
"But our season starts this Saturday in my opinion. I'd rather we played to our potential in the league than the cup. I'm gutted to be out of the Vase though because it would have given us more games to play."
In poor weather conditions, the visitors took an early lead. Cooper Avon attacked straight from the kick-off and were rewarded with a quick try which was duly converted.
The Seasiders then fell foul to the new laws and gave away a penalty within kicking distance of the posts to go 10 points down. The weather took a turn for the worse 15 minutes into the game and the heavens opened. Passing of the ball to hand became a nightmare for both teams but it was the away side that coped best.
Despite Ryan Lewendon, who is now university bound, kicking a penalty for the hosts, the Dorset & Wilts One North outfit ran out victorious against a Weymouth side short of some regular first team players.
Worle added: "Nathan Allan played really well as did debutants James Brindley and Dan Reeve.
"Sam Polley is back with us after two season at Dorchester and was solid on Saturday while James Borrington deserves a mention for coming down and helping us out just 20 minutes after returning from a two-week holiday in Australia."
n Bridport crashed out when they went down 17-0 at Warminster in the first round of the competition.
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk