DORCHESTER 3 SHERBORNE 37

A JAMIE Morgan penalty was all Dorchester had to show for their efforts during a second Southern Counties South defeat of the season to Sherborne.

The visitors pulled away from Martyn Peel’s men in the second half to record a comfortable success at Coburg Road last Saturday, though the loss for Dorchester wasn’t as heavy as Sherborne’s 70-5 victory in north Dorset before Christmas.

With the final round of the Six Nations taking place this could have been a relatively low-key affair at Coburg Road.

But the two sides served up a thoroughly entertaining match which was deservedly won by the visitors.

Their triumph means that with two games of the season left they cannot finish any lower than third in the table.

Dorchester had first use of the stiff breeze and slightly shaded the early exchanges, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring.

The Sherborne right winger touched down after picking up from the back of a five-metre scrum and going over the whitewash.

The conversion was added and a further penalty put Sherborne 10 points to the good.

Dorchester, using their big forwards to carry the ball into the heart of the Sherborne defence, earned themselves a penalty which Morgan kicked to close the gap.

At this point there was little to choose between the sides but once again injury problems hit Dorchester hard.

Lee Harvey had to leave the field with a knee injury and, with no backs on the bench, disruption to the hosts’ defence was inevitable.

Sherborne added a second try following a missed kick to touch by the hosts, and a penalty with the last kick of the half left the county town side trailing by 17 points.

Despite playing into wind, it was Dorchester who applied the early pressure in the second period.

But, even though Sherborne picked up two yellow cards, Dorchester were unable to force their way over the line and the visitors eventually cleared their lines.

As ever, Dorchester battled to the end but when they tired Sherborne were able to add three further tries to complete a comfortable bonus-point win.

Martyn Peel’s charges have enough of an advantage over Bradford-on-Avon in the table to be guaranteed of ending the term no lower than ninth.

But with champions Swanage & Wareham and second-placed Salisbury left to play it is not going to be a relaxing climax to the season for Dorchester.

Dorchester: Cottell, Chalker, Hodgson, Makepeace, King, Gower, Grassby, Newsam, Allan, Harvey, Paton, Evans, Morgan, Moss, Clark. Reps: Harries, Pengelly, Hallett.

Man of the match: Marcus Evans