PUDDLETOWN 12

SALISBURY SECONDS 13

PUDDLETOWN were edged out with the last kick of the game as Salisbury Seconds stole a narrow 13-12 victory in Dorset & Wilts One South.

With the teams sitting 11th and 10th respectively in the division at the beginning of the day and both looking for their first win in the league this season, it was always going to be a nervous, tight game at Greenfields.

Poor weather did not help matters and the opening exchanges were error-ridden on both sides.

Puddletown were the first to overcome the conditions and deservedly took the lead after quarter of an hour, a good driving run through the Salisbury defence from second-row Tom Nickisson, which eventually led to the ball being passed out to teenage outside-centre Jacob Holt who went over to score an unconverted try.

The remainder of the first half saw both sides cancel each other out, the home side’s pack dominating in the scrums but the Salisbury backline holding firm.

Some notable covering defence from home fly-half Tom Yeatman, saved two certain tries from the visitors before half-time.

The second half could not have started any worse for Puddletown, straight from the kick-off the Wiltshire side ran the ball back from their own half, and some poor tackling from the home side allowed the diminutive Salisbury scrum-half to scamper clear and dot the ball down for an unconverted try to level the scores at 5-5.

The game of cat and mouse continued until 65 minutes, when the visitors’ second row trundled over for another unconverted try, to put Puddletown behind 10-5.

With 10 minutes to go, the hosts re-took the lead, from a line-out 20 metres out, the ball was caught cleanly and the home back drove the visitors backwards to within three metres of their line.

Replacement flanker Chris Haynes spun out of the maul to acrobatically touch the ball down over the line with one hand, and Yeatman added the extras to make it 12-10.

With the clock running down to the final whistle, the Salisbury side applied pressure to the Puddletown line.

The home side failed to take opportunities to hammer the ball up the park and they were penalised for not rolling away in a tackle 25 metres out in front of the posts which proved a decisive error, as the Salisbury kicker confidently slotted the ball over to seal the victory.

Coach Paul Chidley named Jacob Holt as his man of the match for Puddletown

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