PUDDLETOWN 19 DORCHESTER II 17

A WELL-WORN cliché perhaps but this keenly contested and entertaining local derby really did turn out to be a game of two halves.

The Villagers looked comfortable and in control at the break after stretching out to a 19-3 lead, only to see a feisty second-half comeback by the visitors take them to within just two points by the final whistle.

Dorchester were first on the scoreboard in this Dorset & Wilts Two South clash when, after 15 minutes, full-back Matt Fry slotted a long-range penalty.

But the visitors were struggling to cope with the home side’s pace and, minutes later, Barry Dovell finished off an excellent move, the fly-half stepping inside his marker to run in under the posts.

Tom Yeatman added the extra two points.

The onslaught continued and, just before half-time, the Villagers crossed the whitewash twice more, firstly when Josh Rattle outpaced the defence down the wing, and then when scrum-half Lucas Frizzle finished off a sweeping cross-field move.

Yeatman was successful with one of the two conversions.

Into the second half and Puddletown were immediately back on the offensive looking for the try that would earn them a bonus point, but Dorchester’s defence was sticking to its task and, as the home side tried to force their game, they started to lose the intensity of their first-half performance and mistakes began to creep in.

The visitors were quick to capitalise on this and gained some ascendancy themselves, so it was no great surprise when they reduced the deficit with scrum-half Dave Gower using all his experience to dart through after a succession of missed tackles from the Villagers.

Fry confidently added the two points.

With their tails up, Dorchester kept the pressure on and minutes later a wayward pass was intercepted deep in their own half.

Winger Chris Lawton sprinted half the length of the pitch to the posts to give Fry a simple conversion and the chance to set up a tense final 10 minutes.

And so it proved to be with both sides going close to scoring again, but in the end, and much to the relief of the Greenfields faithful, the Villagers held out for the win, while the county town side had to be content with a losing bonus point.