GROVE 0

SWANAGE & WAREHAM 17

SWANAGE & Wareham secured a priceless victory in their fight against relegation from South West One East, as they overcame Grove in Oxfordshire, a club that are also in danger of facing the drop.

The game was played on a rather muddy field, which made handling difficult, and by halfway through the second half, it was hard to tell which side the players were on.

Swans started with a couple of penalties which took them into the Grove 22, which the hosts cleared.

But the visitors continued on the offensive and, after 14 minutes from a line-out on the Grove five-metre line, Swans produced one of their catch and drive moves, to power over the Grove try line.

From the muddy pile-up, Swans’ hooker Robert Elford emerged with the ball claiming the try. Phil Graves failed with the conversion from wide out.

From the restart, Grove were playing catch–up rugby, thereby making handling errors, whereas Swans were keeping the ball in among their pack.

On 28 minutes, another mistake by Grove saw Swans once again within five metres of the try line, and, after a couple of phases, second row Gary Smith forced his way over the try line out wide to make it 10-0.

Swans were once again with the advantage early in the second half, still playing in the forwards, and within five minutes of the resumption, prop forward Nick Audley crossed the Grove line close to the posts.

Phil Graves added the extras to take the score to 17-0.

The rest of the game became a mess between the two sets of forwards, and it was difficult to see who had the advantage, but Swans never looked in trouble and saw out the rest of the game confidently.

Swans’ manager Tom Dillon said: “I am delighted with the performance, especially the forwards, but it was a case for the pack to show what they are capable of, and they were backed up by the three-quarters, who tackled well under very difficult conditions, to keep Grove scoreless.”

The victory was Swanage & Wareham’s third league win of the season.

They remain bottom on 14 points, six behind 13th placed Reading.

At the top of the league table, Towcestrians lead the way from Salisbury.

Swans: Smith, Barton (Adkins 65), Roberts, Graves, Parry, Brett, Dennett, Sheldrake, Elford, Audley, Andrews, Smith, Penney, Ford (Harwood 58) Jones

n Meanwhile, in Dorset & Wilts One South, Blandford overcame the Swans’ second XV 78-0.

CONTACT US

t: 01305 830990

e: sport

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @dorsetechosport