PUDDLETOWN 17

NEW MILON 12

PUDDLETOWN beat top-of-the-table New Milton at Greenfields in a hard-fought and competitive game.

The home side were keen to avenge their heavy away defeat to New Milton earlier in the season.

A large crowd enjoyed what was undoubtedly the Villagers’ best game of this season and probably the last few years.

The first half started as a nervy contest with both sides failing to take their chances and the defences dominating and cancelling any attacking play.

The Hampshire side played with the wind advantage in the first half, but on at least two occasions chose not to kick for posts.

The first score came after 25 minutes with New Milton winning a scrum against the head 30 metres out, the ball was quickly spun wide for the winger to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Puddletown struck back soon after with Joe Malpas winning clean ball in a line-out on the visitors’ 22m line, and the ball was then shipped out into the backline with full-back Baz Dovell cutting a good line through and going over to score.

The conversion was missed to leave the score 5-5 at half-time.

The home side were first to break the deadlock after the break, from a scrum on the opposition’s 10-metre line. Number eight Piers Mercer powered through the New Milton defence, he offloaded to his back-row partner Joe Malpas who was well tackled just before the try line.

The ball was quickly recycled for Tom Green to drive over and score. Sam Bailey converted.

The league leaders were not going to give up easily and continued to apply pressure to the Puddletown defence.

From a five-metre line-out, the New Milton scrum-half snuck through a gap in the home defence and went over to score a converted try to level the scores at 12-12.

Both sides continued to battle it out with neither side wanting to take a backward step. A free-kick awarded for a scrum infringement outside the visitors’ 22m line, allowed Puddletown replacement scrum-half James Hill to tap quickly and feed the ball to Mercer who rampaged through the desperate New Milton defence to score. The conversion was missed.

The last 10 minutes was a tense affair, with New Milton applying pressure, Puddletown were down to 14 men after a yellow card for holding back a tackler.

However, the men in red tackled as if their lives depended on it and played with spirit to see out the game for a fine victory.