DORCHESTER 28 MIDSOMER NORTON 21

DORCHESTER overcame another slow start to come from behind and win their first ever league encounter with Midsomer Norton.

The hosts’ troubles started as early as the second minute when James Baker was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.

Midsomer kicked the resulting penalty and then bettered that with a try from a lineout move for their captain and number-eight.

The successful conversion put Dorchester 10-0 behind.

Martyn Peel’s men began to work their way back into the Southern Counties South encoun-ter and the lineout was providing a rich source of good ball for the dangerous backs.

From one line-out the ball was fired wide and Baker went through the last tackle to open Dorchester’s account.

Baker was unable to convert his try but he did kick a penalty shortly afterwards to close the gap to two points.

However, a second penalty from the visitors kept their noses in front approaching half-time.

Midsomer kicked a third penalty just before the break and took a 16-8 lead into the second half.

With the elements in their favour in the second period, Dor-chester still fancied their chances of a third win in four games.

A second penalty from Baker was followed by yet another good line-out take that allowed the pack to rumble over from five metres – Adam Makepeace was at the bottom of the pile of bodies.

The conversion was missed but the momentum was now with Dorchester and it wasn’t long before Rob Grassby added a third try following some scrappy play by both sides in the shadow of the Midsomer posts.

Baker added the conversion but a neck injury to one of the visitors’ props delayed the restart until the decision was taken to call an ambulance and play the rest of the game on another pitch.

With 10 minutes left, Dorchester went in search of a bonus point which they duly earned when skipper James Newsam took a quick penalty and dived over the line.

The visitors did have the consolation of a second try, the inside centre just reaching the line with the last play of the match.

Dorchester: Warren, Chalker, Hodgson, Makepeace, S Jones, Easter, E Grassby, Newsam; Allan, Harding; Baker, C King, R Grassby, Morgan; Spensley. Reps all used: Cottell, D Gower, Bament. Man of the Match: John Warren