Under-13

Dorset Plate semi-final

OAKMEADIANS 0 WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 34

WEYMOUTH & Portland under-13s travelled to Bournemouth to lock horns with a well-organised Oakmeadians side that had already inflicted two narrow defeats on the visitors this season.

With a place in the Dorset and Wilts Plate final at stake, both sides were visibly up for the challenge at kick off - and it showed in the opening exchanges.

It was the away side that began to turn the screw in the fifth minute, when from deep inside their own half, a fine flowing passage of play from the backs saw centre Ned Bennett race towards the line, only to be called back for a forward pass in the build up.

The visiting forwards had grown in confidence and started to dominate the breakdown.

This pressure would be rewarded when Jaden Claridge completed a well-worked team try by collecting the ball midway inside the hosts’ half, evading several defenders and finishing off in style to give the visitors the lead. Robert Hunter added the extras.

On 16 minutes, a dominant Weymouth & Portland pack drove over the ball to secure a scrum against the head, this allowed number eight Frankie Read to gather and run in the second try from 30 yards out.

Claridge then unlocked the home defence once more to touch down and Read also secured his second to put the visitors in command at the interval.

Oakmedians showed great determination and sustained pressure inside the Weymouth & Portland half.

But having soaked up the attacks, some quick thinking by scrum half Nathan Calton led to the ball being fed through the hands and out to winger Ben Tracey, who turned on the pace to weave through the home defence and claim his third try of the season.

Read crossed the whitewash for a final time to claim his third and the visitors’ sixth score of the afternoon and cap off an impressive display from the visitors, who now move into the final.