Rugby: Injury blow for King as Dorchester are beaten by Frome

DORCHESTER centre Callum King suffered a dislocated shoulder as his side were beaten by in-form Frome.

The county town three-quarter sustained the injury half an hour into the Southern Counties South contest at Coburg Road.

A Frome player took a blow to the head in the same passage of play and the game ended up being moved to another pitch to let the casualties receive medical attention.

In the end, the Somerset outfit secured a bonus-point win and completed a league double over Martyn Peel’s charges, coming from behind in the second half to register a fourth success on the bounce.

Dorchester had started brightly but a wayward clearance gifted possession to the visitors, who then crossed for the opening try.

Despite winning plenty of possession, the hosts couldn’t put any phases of play together, though Jamie Morgan got them back into the game with a penalty.

The two sides were evenly-matched going into the last 10 minutes of the first period, but then came the incident that saw Dorchester lose King.

Frome’s winger made ground down the left and King, in trying to make a tackle, ended up dislocating his shoulder.

As the move continued, a Frome player then took an accidental blow to the side of the head which led to a lengthy delay in proceedings.

King’s injury forced a reorganisation of Dorchester’s backline and the change of pitch meant they would have to play the second half up the slope and into a stiff breeze.

Dorchester did manage to take the lead before the break, Sam Jones picking up a loose pass and outpacing the defence to cross.

Morgan converted and Dorch-ester led by just three points.

The hosts were always going to struggle against the elements in the second period, but with the returning Sam Prior producing several of his trademark rampaging runs with the ball there were plenty of reasons for optimism.

Finally, Frome regained the lead, their full-back scoring in the corner, and almost immediately they added a penalty before the number eight forced his way over following a lineout drive.

Now 12 points down, Dorchester still fancied their chances of at least a losing bonus point, but this was dashed when an interception allowed Frome to go the length of the pitch and put the game to bed.

Dorchester were not finished, however, and a penalty kicked to the corner saw Mat Chalker peel off a lineout and dive over.

Dorchester: Cottell, Chalker, Hodgson, Makepeace, Bamlet, Jones, Grassby, Mitchell, Allan, Evans, S King, C King, Harvey, Morgan, Clark. Reps: Prior, Gower.

Man of the match: Lee Harvey