SHERBORNE 70 DORCHESTER 5

DORCHESTER won the forward battle but comprehensively lost the war as they conceded more than 50 points in a game for the third time this season.

The visitors began well, winning the first scrum against the head, and when Lee Harvey sliced through the home defence it seemed that they were off to the perfect start.

Unfortunately, Harvey’s offload found a Sherborne player and the chance to open the scoring in the Southern Counties South clash was missed.

It soon became evident that the hosts had far too much pace in the backs for Dorchester to handle and they looked like scoring every time they had good ball.

A converted try, two penalties and a second unconverted score took Sherborne to an 18-point lead before Dorchester got on the scoreboard.

A promising counter-attack started by Lewis Allan was snuffed out 15 metres short of the line, but Dorchester’s forwards drove over from the resulting lineout for their solitary score of the day.

Despite having a man in the bin, Sherborne then added three more converted tries before the break.

Not much changed in the second period as the visitors continued to have the edge up front but could do nothing to stop the Sherborne backline making hay.

Five more tries, three of them converted, completed the scoring.

To their credit, Dorchester finished the match camped on the Sherborne line but were unable to add to their total.

Dorchester: Warren, Chalker, Hodgson, Makepeace, Bamlet, E Grassby, Newsam, Jones, Gower, Harvey, Clark, Deakin, R Grassby, Morgan, Allan. Reps used: Easter, Moss