WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 16

LYTCHETT MINSTER 7

THE Seasiders had to come from 7-6 behind at the break to snatch a victory that they just about deserved against a visiting side who pushed them to their limits.

Two first half penalties from skipper Ryan Lewendon were cancelled out by a converted try from the visitors, but not for the first time this season, the penalty count against them was far too high.

Going into the second half a point down, the hosts were quickly onto the front foot, but all too often they would be caught infringing, mostly at the breakdown and be sent scurrying back into their own territory from the resulting penalty kick.

The visitors took the initiative and penned their hosts inside their own 22-metre line for long periods, but the Seasiders’ committed defence ensured that their line was not breached again.

After a long period of defending and it has to be said against the run of play, they ran from deep and, following some clever interplay by the home backs, centre Joel Wilson found himself free to sprint in and ground the ball beneath the Lytchett posts for Bryn Llewelyn to convert.

With full time beckoning, it was the visitors who were caught offside and up stepped Lewendon again to stroke over a penalty from 40 metres out to put the visitors two scores behind.

Weymouth & Portland finished the game inside their own half and, following a scrum, put the ball into touch allowing the referee to blow for full time.

After the game head coach Paul Harding said: “There are no complaints, we expected a hard game against Lytchett and that is just what we got.

“The conditions weren’t the best, but we overcame them and got the result.

“I think that we are making progress and we will need to be at our best next week at home against Swanage & Wareham and in a fortnight in the Dorset & Wilts Vase final against Swindon College Old Boys.”

Team manager Vaughan Carter added: “We have to work hard on our discipline and improve our penalty count.

“We seem to be making the same mistakes, mostly at the breakdown and I have said before that has to improve if we are to be successful.”

n The Seasiders’ second team beat Fordingbridge Seconds 43-8 in the Dorset & Wilts Three South.

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