DORCHESTER 0 DEVIZES 27

IN DIFFICULT conditions both sides did their best to provide an entertaining contest in which the county town side were once again second best.

Dorchester started brightly enough but, despite having plenty of possession, never really threatened the visitors’ line and James Baker missed a straight forward penalty attempt.

In contrast, Devizes finished off their first attack with a try in the right-hand corner.

The try was converted and, from then on, the visitors never looked back.

The hosts put in plenty of honest effort and made Devizes work hard for every yard but the away side had the edge.

The visitors added two further tries, neither of them converted, to reach the break with a 17-point lead, leaving Dorchester with it all to do.

In continuous rain and with the pitch cutting up badly, the second half became a bit of a lottery.

With handling proving immensely difficult, it was almost better not to have the ball.

Devizes did add a fourth try, which, together with the conversion and a final penalty, made up their score.

For their part, Dorchester had several chances to get on the scoresheet, particularly from their driving line-out, but due to a lack of precision and some poor decisions, they failed to break their duck.

The result means Dorchester sit bottom of the pile in Southern Counties South after 12 games played.

They were not helped by fellow strugglers Frome overcoming Dorset Dockers with a surprising 42-14 home win.

Dorchester: Pengelly, Cottell, Makepeace, L King, Arnold, Bowden, Hallett, Clark, Foot, Haskell, Greening, Baker, T Gower, Spensley, Bosher, Robson, Bamlet