Dorchester hit by blitz from leaders (From Dorset Echo)

Dorchester hit by blitz from leaders

8:52am Tuesday 9th March 2010 in

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Dorchester 15 FROME 39

ALTHOUGH they were well beaten by league leaders Frome, Dorchester were far from disgraced and fought back to have the better of the last quarter.

The county town side started brightly at Coburg Road, driving the line-out well and putting Frome’s scrum under pressure. The reward for this was an Adam Jones penalty.

Disappointingly, the hosts immediately gifted Frome the lead when sloppy work at the restart allowed the visitors to cross for the first of their seven tries.

The next 20 minutes were fairly even, both sides having chances that they were unable to convert into points.

Frome, having managed to stabilise their scrummage, then took control of the match with a burst of three quick-fire tries – all as a result of strong direct running and excellent support work.

Dorchester did hit back with a try of their own. Matt Read latched on to a fumbled kick-off and crossed in the left hand corner. How-ever, Jones was unable to convert, leaving the half-time score at 20-8 in the visitors’ favour.

The hosts needed an early score if they were to get back in the match but it was the away side who continued to have the upper hand.

Three more tries, two of which were converted, saw Frome move out of sight.

In danger of being swamped, Dorchester redoubled their efforts and began to exert some pressure of their own.

Eventually the pressure told and flanker Justin Miller stepped inside a couple of defenders for Dorchester’s second try, which Jones converted.

The hosts continued to press but were unable to add to their score and fell to their first defeat in Southern Counties South since January 16.

Dorchester: Hodgson, Chalker (Pengelly 70), Bamlet, Makepeace, Hawkins, J Gower, Miller, Dixon (Cottell 60), D Gower, Rossiter, T Gower, Jones, Harvey, Morgan (Biddle 35), Read.

Player of the Match: Joe Gower