Saturday 12 April 2014
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
Minety finish in style
Melksham 1st XV 5pts – Minety 1st XV 32pts
Minety finished their season in style with a comprehensive bonus point-win over mid-table Melksham.
Going into the day on equal points at the top of the table with Supermarine and Bradford-on-Avon, Minety needed not only to win this match, but also to get a bonus point for scoring at least four tries in order to have a chance of winning the league.
When the two sides met at Minety in the first league game of the season, the contest ended in a five-all draw, but two scintillating tries from winger Duncan Simpson and one each from lock Tom Windle and flanker Steve Brown put paid to any hopes Melksham had of getting on even terms this time around. Three conversions and two penalty goals from skipper Jack Ward completed the job for Minety, while the home side could only manage a single unconverted try in response.
The result left Minety waiting for the results of their rivals’ fixtures to see who would be this year’s champions of Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North. In the event, last week’s leaders and odds-on favourites Supermarine fell at the final hurdle, going down 8-7 to Trowbridge seconds. But Bradford-on-Avon made no mistake away against Chippenham seconds, securing a bonus point with an impressive 25-nil win.
This left Bradford and Minety tied on 80 points at the top of the table, but Bradford’s superior for:against ratio ensured that they claimed the title. Second place for Minety still puts them in a promotion spot and they now face the exciting challenge of playing in Southern Counties again next season.
Minety finish their outstanding season with a tour game in Plymouth on Saturday 26 April, followed by the Minety Sevens Festival on Saturday 3 May. The Seven-a-Side competition promises to be a great day out, with 15 teams in the men’s competition and no fewer than 10 sides contesting the ladies’ cup.
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