Rather like the game at Bournemouth a fortnight earlier, this match had something of a club feel about it. Dorchester’s first team had been due to play at home, cancelled at 12:45 that afternoon. Oakmeadians’ 2nd team had suffered a similar blow. So both third teams were blessed with benches bursting with quality and quantity. On the away leg, Oakmeadians had brought the Gladiators’ unbeaten run to a crashing halt, and had gone on to have an almost unbeaten record of their own, losing only one match so far in the season. So a tough game was anticipated.
Dorchester started brightly, uphill and into the (bitter) wind, with forwards and backs combining to drive up the right hand side with Ali Vivian being denied a foot short of the try line. Patience and some recycling gave him another chance on the left which he took. The ease of this score seemed to lull the hosts into a false sense of security. Oakmeadians struck back in short order with a forwards try, and it seemed the crowd were in for a very close match. However, the hosts seemed unable to rise again, with all the action in Dorchester’s half, and the Gladiators having to rely on the half backs’ boots to get out of trouble again and again. Simple errors gave the visitors scoring chances which they took, with two fairly quick tries, and then another towards half time. At 24-5 at the break, Dorchester’s hopes of exacting revenge for their first defeat of the season during the away fixture seemed to have evaporated.
The second half started more evenly. Dorchester were making fewer errors, or when they made them, they recovered them. Gradually the screw tightened, and the visitors found themselves more and more in their own twenty-two. Constant pressure opened gaps, with Morgan Jones having a simple run-in, followed by James Newsome having a rather less simple one as Oaks almost closed that gap. A fourth try followed as Mike Solway jinked his way through in a most unlikely fashion for a prop. With the clock ticking, trailing 22-24, Dorchester were torn between ensuring that everyone who had turned up to play got at least a little action, and not disrupting a team that seemed finally to have clicked when the result was suddenly up for grabs again.
Dorchester took the decision to get everyone on – after all, this is third team rugby, and it’s rather dispiriting to make the effort and spend the entire match on the sidelines. Also this meant the match was played with two father-son combinations (though not on at the same time). A penalty kick was narrowly missed, giving 4 remaining minutes of play (and severe earache from captain Roly to team manager Allan who had just substituted the kicker). However, Dorchester kept the pressure up, and a further penalty from more or less the same spot went over on full time, Dorchester ending a point ahead, much to the relief of the crowd (and the team manager).
This was a very good effort against a strong team, and that everyone who wanted a game got one (albeit very short in some cases) was an added bonus. Next week the Gladiators are again at home, to Lytchett Minster, who also won the away leg, so another big effort is needed!
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