DORCHESTER 56

MINETY 14

DORCHESTER won the Dorset & Wilts Senior Vase for the second time in three seasons with a crushing 56-14 victory over a brave but limited Minety side.

Ten-try Dorchester started confidently and were in front within five minutes when record try-scorer James Baker skipped down the left touchline and scored in the corner.

Dorchester continued to press but a dropped pass in midfield allowed the Minety fly-half to pick and outpace the cover to the posts.

The successful conversion gave Minety the lead for the only time in the game at 7-5.

Dorchester’s set-piece was dominant all afternoon and it was from a disrupted Minety scrum that flanker Charlie Sharpe touched down to retake the lead.

Baker again was unable to convert from the touchline but Dorchester soon added try number three, skipper James Newsam at the base of the scum for a push-over try, Baker adding the extras.

Minety provided a sharp reminder that Dorchester could not relax when their number eight splintered an organised driving maul to score from 20 metres.

Dorchester responded immediately with two further tries from Baker and prop Joe Underhill to lead 27-14 at half-time.

The second half continued in the same vein with Dorchester having the majority of possession and Minety defending as best they could.

A yellow card for James Harries appeared to have little effect as Dorchester ran in five further tries. There was a brace for winger Kieran Mayall and a second for Sharpe before Baker completed his hat-trick, a try which took his Dorchester total to 135, surpassing the record previously held by Tony Foot.

The tenth and final try of the afternoon was scored by Newsam on the final whistle.

The county town side now travel to Tadley at the end of the month for the Southern Counties Vase semi-final in which they will aim to go one better than their loss to Slough the last time they reached this position.

In other games for the club this weekend, Dorchester’s A XV, with Colt Freddie Marsden making his senior debut scoring two tries and collecting man of the match, pushed the league leaders Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew in an eventual 22-14 loss at Surcouf Park.

Whilst the Ridgeway Roses had a tough afternoon on Sunday, losing 54-10 to Trojans Seconds at Monmouth Avenue.

Dorchester: Bamlet, Ovey, Elliott, Harries, L King, Hosford, Sharpe, Newsam; Verkaik, Foot; T Gower, C King, Baker, Mayall; Moss. Underhill, Howell, Burch, Boyd-Paton.

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