DORCHESTER 32

BLANDFORD 3

THIS Wadworth 6X Dorset & Wilts One South match, billed as clash between first and second in the league, turned out to be a comfortable win for the Highwood-sponsored league leaders Dorchester as Blandford were defeated 32-3.

Blandford are a big side and bring physicality to the game, however Dorchester’s solid defence was more than a match for the visitors. This gave Blandford very few clear chances to score.

James Baker opened the scoring with an early penalty before James Newsam continued his scoring streak with a try in the right corner which Baker was unable to convert.

At 8-0, sustained pressure on the Blandford line resulted in a penalty in front of the posts. Dorchester chose the scrum option and going right Callum King crashed through the last tackler to extend the lead to 13 points.

The last five minutes of the first half were Blandford’s best period of the game but despite their best efforts they were unable to cross the Dorchester line and eventually had to settle for three points from a penalty.

Blandford needed to score next if they were to put pressure on a confident Dorchester side, but the hosts snuffed out any hope of a comeback with hooker Josh Ovey crossing for the first of what would be a 40-minute hat-trick.

His second came as he chased down King’s chip ahead, he then turned up on the left wing and sprinted into the corner for his third. Baker converted the first two to complete the scoring.

The county town side now sit unbeaten at the top of the table by five points, with Dorset Dockers now second and local rivals Weymouth & Portland third, who Dorchester meet next weekend at Weymouth’s Monmouth Avenue.

The win was fitting for the day, with a VP lunch honouring many of the club’s past and present volunteers for their work and also to name the clubhouse and grounds after one of the club’s finest servants, Lloyd Surcouf. The newly named Surcouf Park registered its first win with a fine team performance.

Dorchester’s A XV fell agonisingly short in a low-scoring game played in poor conditions at Ellingham & Ringwood. Going down 8-7 to a last minute penalty, Cam Wills scored Dorchester’s sole try.

Club president Bob Andrews and former Colts coach Gavin Dunning laid a wreath on the club’s behalf with a large contingent of the youth and mini section parading with other local organisations at the town’s Remembrance service on Sunday.

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