WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 39

LYTCHETT MINSTER 22

WEYMOUTH & Portland collected their third win of the Wadworth 6X Dorset & Wilts One South season with a comfortable 39-22 scoreline against bottom side Lytchett Minster at Monmouth Avenue.

Victory maintained the Seahorses’ perfect home record and the hosts were 3-0 in front after 30 seconds when fly-half Alex Toms converted a penalty after Lytchett were caught offside in midfield.

Outside-centre Reece Makin then added to the home side’s lead with the opening try in the 10th minute, although Toms failed to convert.

Lytchett cut the deficit when landing a superb penalty from inside their own half for 8-3.

And Minster took a 10-8 lead from the kick-off when a fumble from a booming kick upfield let Lytchett’s outside-centre gather possession and run in under the posts for a converted try.

Weymouth & Portland’s response to going behind was impressive as Jason Hoskins went over in the corner for 13-10 before full-back Cameron Avant scored the Seahorses’ third try, Toms adding the extras for a 20-10 half-time lead.

Makin grabbed his second try after the break before Avant claimed his brace, breaking through from scrum-half to score.

Replacement Lewis Richards notched the Seahorses’ sixth score, sandwiched in between two well-worked Lytchett tries, one of which was converted.

Minster’s bright finish saw them score from an overlap and then a missed tackle as the scoreline remained respectable.

Speaking to Echosport, Weymouth & Portland coach Rich Bament heralded the Seahorses’ heightened display following last week’s 36-19 loss to Dorset Dockers.

“It was a much-improved performance,” he said. “We strung some good passages of play together.

“When we played like that we looked really good. A few times a few errors crept in but the majority of the time I was very happy.

“There’s lots of things to improve on but that’s always the case. It’s another win, five points and I was quite happy at the end of the day.

“It’s always hard against opposition where they’re limited in what they can do. Give them their due they never gave up, kept going and going and had some good players.”

On conceding 22 points, Bament added: “The first try was easily avoidable by a bit of communication but the second two we could’ve been a bit more aggressive in defence.

“The standards the guys have set themselves, they know. I’m not going to dwell on that.”

Bament’s men now have a bye weekend after electing not to feature in cup competition this weekend. The Seahorses return to league action at Sherborne Seconds on Saturday, October 19.

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