Saturday 2 April 2011
Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North
A spirited performance
Melksham 1st XV 47 pts – Minety 1st XV 15 pts
A terrific first half from Minety saw them one point ahead at the break, but when Melksham rejigged their front row, they pulled away in the second half.
Good hands and a neat inside pass put Melksham through for the opening try of the game but Minety soon struck back with a try from flyhalf Will Dyer.
A dash down the left touchline for the Melksham winger took him deep into the visitors’ 22 before a pass inside was snapped up by the fullback, who burst over for the try. A conversion in off the upright made it 14-5 in Melksham’s favour.
Some great rucking and well executed short phases by the Minety forwards caused all sorts of problems for their opponents before the ball was released out wide. Centre Robin Greenway took it on with 20 metres to go and galloped in for a try.
An inspired break and slick inside pass by Greenway set up Minety’s next try, which was finished by Dyer to give his team a slender one point lead at the break.
Melksham swapped out an inexperienced prop and brought in an old hand for the second half. It made all the difference. Dominating up front and often taking strikes against the head, they denied Minety possession and gave their talented threequarters plenty of quick ball to play with.
The visitors never gave up and had some highly effective passages of play, but they eventually tired under the weight of continuous defence and leaked late points.
Melksham centre Ben Dudridge was in particularly good form and scored the last two of the five tries which Melksham ran in during the second half to win by a handsome margin.
Though disappointed by the score line, Minety coach Huw Jones was delighted with his team’s effort and praised them for what he described as “a spirited performance.”
This Saturday, Minety play hosts to Trowbridge seconds.
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