DORCHESTER 12

DEVIZES 53

DORCHESTER suffered their first home defeat for two years as Devizes ran away with this Wadworth 6x Southern Counties South game in the last quarter.

The county town side were arguably the better side in the first 20 minutes but Devizes opened the scoring with a breakaway try.

The visitors then scored a second converted try as Dorchester paid the penalty for failing to clear their lines at Coburg Road.

The hosts continued to try and run the ball and got their reward with a brace of tries from left-wing Jamie Morgan.

James Baker added a conversion and Dorchester were well in the game.

Once again, the county town side made the mistake of trying to play too much rugby in their own 22, the visitors pouncing on the dropped ball and scoring a third try.

The half-time whistle arrived with Dorchester trailing by just seven points.

The opening exchanges of the second half were quite even and the hosts still had hopes of getting something out of the game until a succession of injuries took their toll on the home side, with skipper Adam Makepeace, James Newsam and George Foot all having to leave the field.

Devizes took full advantage and their back division found the space to run in six tries against tired a dispirited opponents.

The county town side now sit ninth in the table with two tough away encounters looming at Frome and Yeovil, who are second and third respectively.

The coaching team now have the task of picking up the squad and boosting morale following a big home defeat and injuries to key players. However, there is depth in the squad, and Dorchester will bounce back.

Rob Parker’s A XV finally lost their unbeaten record, this weekend, in a narrow well-fought defeat to Salisbury 22-19.

They still sit top of the Dorset & Wilts Two South table thanks to a marginally better points difference to second-placed Wheatsheaf.

The A XV next play third-placed Ellingham & Ringwood.

Dorchester’s third XV Gladiators overcame a dogged New Milton side 29-22 in Dorset & Wilts Three South. They also remain top of their respective league and play second-placed Poole away this weekend.