Puddletown 15 EAST DORSET 22

PUDDLETOWN’S ongoing East Dorset jinx continued into the new Dorset & Wilts Two South season as the Christchurch-based outfit yet again took the spoils.

However, on this occasion the Villagers can have no complaints given their profligacy, particularly during a dominant first 30 minutes.

The hosts settled quickly in Saturday’s curtain-raiser and it took just five minutes before some excellent build-up play created a blindside opening for Paul Chidley to capitalise on – the number eight powering over from five metres.

Skipper Tom Yeatman’s conversion attempt fell short but with the Villagers building on their early ascendancy, further scores looked inevitable. Somehow the visitors managed to hold on, despite being penned inside their own 22 for long periods, and it was only with half-time approaching that they started to mount some pressure of their own.

Their efforts brought immediate results though, and on their first visit deep inside home territory they rolled a maul over to level the scores.

Straight from the restart full-back Marcus House finished a clever move with a well-timed run through the defence, and while fly-half Barry Dovell added the extras to give the Villagers a seven-point advantage at the break, East Dorset drew level again early in the second period with a converted score of their own.

Minutes later, Yeatman added three points from a penalty, one of an increasing number awarded as both sides were repeatedly penalised at the breakdown, but while further chances came the way of the home side it was poor tackling that finally let them down as the visitors plundered two late tries to go seven points up.

A frantic final five minutes saw Puddletown camped on the East Dorset five-metre line and with no fewer than five penalties conceded by a desperate defence, there may have been a valid case for a penalty try, however, nothing was given and instead they were left to rue the many chances they had spurned earlier in the contest.

Dorset Piddle Brewery Man of the Match: James Perrett