ELLINGHAM & RINGWOOD III 31 DORCHESTER III 33

DORCHESTER held off a last-ditch surge from their opponents to claim a victory which saw them go back to the top of the Dorset & Wilts Four table.

The match started with the hosts conceding a flurry of penalties which allowed Glad-iators’ lock Lee King to crash over.

Alex Toms converted before missing a penalty from almost the same spot soon after.

The visitors then felt the full wrath of the referee’s whistle for the rest of the half, and the home side replied with two tries through Dorchester’s inability to cope with quick tap penalties.

With some better defence and discipline, the county town side worked their way over for a converted try by scrum-half Lewis Allen, before another through number eight Adam Makepeace – this one was unconverted.

The visiting scrum was starting to give the hosts a torrid time, but Ellingham & Ringwood got back into the game on the stroke of half-time to make it 19-19, while Dorchester were temporarily reduced to 14 men when a player failed to retreat 10 metres at a penalty.

Nevertheless, Dorchester started the second half with vigour and took the game to their hosts, though another score from Makepeace, this time converted, was matched by one for the home side.

Dorchester’s eventual restoration to 15 men was marked by yet another strike from the home runners, going almost the length of the field from yet another tap penalty.

Undaunted, Dorchester dug in and Allen wormed his way through a gap from a lineout.

Despite a tap tackle, he just about managed to stagger under the posts for his second try, giving Toms a simple conversion to put Dorchester in front once again.

Although going down to 14 men, the hosts threw everything at their visitors, getting within striking distance several times and benefitting from yet more penalties.

Then, in a decision they must have rued afterwards, the hosts decided to go for a try instead of a kick at goal after being awarded a penalty almost in front of the visitors’ posts.

The ball carrier was stopped short and his support arrived slightly too late to take the ball over the line.

In the resulting scramble the ball became unplayable and the match ended with Dorchester having hung on for an important victory.

With Lytchett Minster Seconds unexpectedly going down to Weymouth Thirds, this result puts Dorchester back at the top of the league.

They are next in action on Saturday, February 14 with a friendly at Chard Veterans.

Man of the match: Charlie Sharp