POOLE 7

Puddletown 8

A SUCCESSFUL penalty kick from full-back Dan Udell just minutes from time finally secured a single-point victory for the Villagers.

Udell’s effort came as a huge relief in a Dorset & Wilts Two South encounter which the visitors could so easily have regretted not making the most of their superiority, particularly in the first half. Starting strongly Puddle-town’s well-drilled forwards soon had the heavier home pack under pressure both in the set-pieces and in the loose, giving scrum-half Max Welch plenty of space in which to work.

The Poole defence initially held firm but with Puddletown increasingly spending time camped inside their 22, the gaps started to appear, only for the visitors to squander a number of clear-cut scoring chances and end a dominant first period with nothing to show for their efforts.

The hosts on the other hand were clearly inspired by the 0-0 scoreline and straight from the restart they upped their game, going close on a couple of occasions before the visitors once more regained the initiative.

Driven back towards their own posts, Poole gave away a series of penalties and from one of these, 10 metres out, number eight Martin Spicer took a quick tap kick and drove though the defensive line to score.

Udell’s conversion attempt failed but the visitors had at last got their noses in front.

Poole were not finished though and with 10 minutes left they turned the tide again with some patient build-up play, their outside centre spotting a gap in the visiting defence and taking the chance to dash through and touch down.

The try was converted, giving the hosts the lead, but that proved short-lived when the Villagers once more forced their way back up-field and with Poole eventually conceding yet another penalty, up stepped Udell who, holding his nerve, slotted over the winning points.

Dorset Piddle Brewery Man of the Match: Connal Newbery