Swans sink champions

LEAGUE champions Dorchester lost out to Swanage & Wareham Seconds on the final day of the season despite holding a half-time lead.

The county town started well at Coburg Road and but for some wayward kicking from Rich Bament could have been well ahead in the first quarter.

Eventually, Dorchester did open the scoring. A well executed move in the backs saw winger James Spensley give the scoring pass to Bament who crossed in the right-hand corner.

The visitors hit back, collecting a poor clearance and running through several weak tackles to score under the posts. The conversion points put the visitors into the lead.

Dorchester though regained the lead on the half-hour after the Swans had been forced to concede a penalty.

Instead of going for goal fly-half John Firkin spotted Spensley on the touchline and found him with a perfectly judged kick. Bament added the extras and Dorchester led by five at the interval.

The hosts would have expected to push on and win from such a position but the visitors had other ideas.

The old heads in the Swans’ team began to impose themselves on the match and Dorchester, just as they had in the reverse fixture, got sucked into playing Swanage & Wareham’s game.

A second converted try by the visiting right winger was followed by two penalties from the full-back and the match was out of reach.

The Swans’ replacement scrum-half delivered the coup de grace when he strolled over for try number three in the last move of the game.

The defeat marks Dorchester’s final game in Dorset & Wilts One South as they are set for an immediate return to Southern Counties South.

Dorchester: Hodgson, Chalker, Bamlet, Hodges, Broadbent, T Gower (Boyt 65), Newsam, D Gower; Weller, Firkin, Spensley, Harvey, Biddle, Elliott (Rossiter 65), Bament.

Man of the Match: Stephen Hodgson