Dorchester rocked by Walcot (From Dorset Echo)

Dorchester rocked by Walcot

8:11am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in Rugby

Dorchester 17 Walcot 22

DORCHESTER were rocked by a surprise defeat to Walcot as the visitors touched down twice in the space of five second-half minutes to claim a shock victory.

The hosts seemed to be cruising to their eighth Southern Counties South success of the season as they went in search of a bonus point after a brace of tries for Matt Read and one from Steve Tucker.

But when Walcot grabbed an opportunist score the game changed and the away side went on to protect their lead in the closing stages despite heavy Dorchester pressure.

Even though they arrived late, Walcot seized the initiative with a penalty early on but they also missed a couple of other chances before Dorchester got into the game.

Pressing the Walcot try line, the hosts turned down a succession of kicks at goal but on each occasion their execution failed to come up to scratch and they could not break through the opposition defence.

Twice Dorchester players were held up over the line and even when Walcot were reduced to 13 men in the closing stages of the first period the home club still failed to cross the whitewash.

However, they didn’t have to wait long in the second half before a try arrived as Carl Mitchell brushed off several tacklers and handed on to Tucker, who crossed in the left hand corner.

Minutes later it was Read who showed some pace to get Dorchester’s second try in the same corner. Baker added the conversion and the home side were looking comfortable.

Walcot were now back to full strength but it made little difference as Read again squeezed over, this time in the right-hand corner. Dorchester were now looking for the bonus-point try but when a move broke down, a Walcot boot hacked the ball deep into home territory and the visitors won the foot race.

And the scoring was far from over as two tries in five minutes, both from their own half, turned the game on its head and gave Walcot a five-point cushion going into the last 10 minutes.

Dorchester spent that time camped on the visitors’ line but Walcot held out to claim a precious win and severely dent Dorchester’s confidence as they look ahead to Saturday’s away encounter at top-of-the-table Devizes.

Meanwhile, Dorchester Seconds lost a high-scoring affair at Ellingham & Ringwood Seconds 43-34 in Dorset & Wilts Two South.

Highwood Man of the Match: Adam Makepeace

* Weymouth’s game at Supermarine was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch while Weymouth Seconds lost 41-5 at home to Poole in Dorset & Wilts Two South.