DORSET DOCKERS 31 
DORCHESTER 20

DORCHESTER fell to their second defeat of the season as they were beaten by a very strong Dockers side in Dorset & Wilts One South.

The visitors started brightly playing up the slope in the first half and, after 10 minutes, the visitors opened the scoring with a James Baker penalty. 

The hosts were looking dangerous and looking to run the ball at every opportunity and were also putting Dorchester’s scrum under pressure at the set-piece, and wearing the pack down. 

The visitors’ defence held firm until the Dockers’ big centre found some space down the right wing and broke several tackles to score in the corner. 

With their tails up, the Dockers added with one of the tries converted and Dorchester were looking a little ragged at this point as they trailed 17-3. 

The away side needed a flash of inspiration and it was provided by centre Harry Charlier who intercepted on his own 10-metre line and outpaced his chasers to the posts and Baker’s conversion was a formality leaving Dorchester just seven points adrift at the break. 

With the benefit of the slope, Dorchester again started the half the brighter and a long-range Baker penalty drifted slightly wide but his side kept the pressure on and a long cut out pass saw Baker squeeze in at the corner with a missed conversion. 

The game was now in the balance but the Dockers were able to bring on a host of high quality replacements and two more converted tries sealed the result in favour of the hosts to make the score 31-15. 

Dorchester were not quite finished and launched one last attack which saw Charlier break though for his second try but Baker’s conversion attempt came back of a post and the referee blew for full time.

Dorchester’s head coach Ben Parker admitted after the game: “It wasn’t the result we wanted, and we just missed out on a consolation bonus point.

“Despite the result the lads played well, but Dockers played a fast-paced game and ran everything at us. They worked it to their advantage on their home pitch and produced some very good tries.”

Parker also noted that as a one-team club, the Dockers were allowed a larger squad for the game as opposed to Dorchester’s 18 men and he felt this may have given them an advantage later in the game when fatigue set in with more fresh legs available. 

Dorchester still sit top of the table 11 points clear of the Dockers with a superior points advantage.

This Saturday, Dorchester visit Slough in the final of the Southern Counties Senior Vase.

In the other senior games played this weekend, the A XV won at home against New Milton Thirds 69-17 in Dorset & Wilts Two South, while the Gladiators lost on the road to Poole 32-17 in Three South.