SWANAGE & WAREHAM 19 MAIDENHEAD 17

THE first match of the new year for the Swans brought with it just their second victory of the season in South West One East.

A 19-17 win over Maidenhead at Bestwall followed on from last month’s three-point triumph against Reading.

After the game, Swans' team manager Tom Dillon said: “I was pleased with the commitment of the whole team and if they stick together we could have a few more wins during the rest of the season.”

The Swans started off by putting the pressure on the visitors’ line, piling forward with a series of pick and drives.

The ball was moved to centre Matt Roberts and he forced his way over the try line after only four minutes. Phil Graves added the extras.

As expected, Maidenhead came back and a couple of penalties took them into the home team’s 22. A clever move saw visiting flanker Will Cadden cross the line, though the conversion was missed.

The play was pretty even for most of the rest of the half, but after 31 minutes the Swans intercepted a pass, moved the ball along the three-quarters to winger Callum Young who shook off a tackle to speed in from 20 metres.

Graves kicked the conversion to make it 14-5 to the hosts.

Maidenhead put some pressure on the Swans in the last five minutes of the half but solid defence kept them out.

Within two minutes of the restart, Maidenhead intercepted a pass from a Swans attack and their backs combined to score a try out wide.

The Swans attempted to pressurise the Maidenhead pack and at times drove the scrum backwards.

On 54 minutes, and at another scrum, the ball was worked out along the Swans’ backs to Young and he crossed for his second try in the corner.

A penalty then put Maidenhead into the Swans’ 22 and after a scramble for the ball a visiting centre managed to cross the whitewash. Full-back Tom Finnie converted to make the score 19-17 after 65 minutes.

The Swans took the play into the Maidenhead 22 and they nearly forced their way over the line with a series of pick and drives.

They couldn’t cross but had done enough to win by two points.

This Saturday, the Swans travel to fourth-placed Newbury Blues, the seconds host Frome Seconds in Dorset & Wilts One South, while the third XV entertain Salisbury Thirds in Three South.

Swans: A Smith, Parish, Roberts, Strange, Young, Graves, Tomes (Brett 65), Sheldrake, Elford, Audley (G Smith 55), Penney (Andrews 62), Hogg, Corsie, Ford, Wright.