Any hope of Dorchester continuing their winning ways from last week were quickly wiped out by North Dorset’s power pack of forwards. Superbly marshalled as always by former Dorchester star Rich Miller, the North Dorset eight made and scored four tries, all from close range, in the first forty minutes.
The home side did not help their own cause with some poor decision-making and ill discipline. They also lost two thirds of their starting front row through injury in that woeful first period. All of which led to the visitors dominating the half and turning round leading twenty four points to nil.
Looking down the barrel of an embarrassing home defeat Dorchester managed to rediscover their pride and passion in the second half. Fired up by the sending of captain Rich Bament to the sin bin, the home side finally started to take the game to North Dorset and for the final thirty minutes made a real contest of the match. 
Rich Miller did cross for another North Dorset try but Dorchester had the last word, scoring two converted tries in the last quarter. Firstly, James Baker showed his pace when he comfortably outstripped the North Dorset cover in a seventy-metre footrace following John Firkin’s kick into space. Firkin himself then produce a moment of real class as he carved through the defence from halfway, scoring under the posts without a hand being laid on him.
The two conversions gave a semblance of respectability to the score but in truth Dorchester were well beaten on the day and will need to play better in the vital games to come in February and March.
Team:- Hodgson, Pengelly (Chalker 20), Weston (Borries 35), Hodges, Broadbent (King 60), Brown, Newsam, Gower D; Weller, Powell; Elliott, Bament, Firkin, Baker; Spensley;
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