WIMBORNE II 22

BRIDPORT 15

BRIDPORT were consigned to a 22-15 defeat at Wimborne Seconds in their final Counties Two Dorset & Wilts South clash of the season.

Bridport now await the cup draw, with the Daggers keen on home fixtures.

Against Wimborne, two late withdrawals hampered the Daggers, as frequently has been the case for away matches this season, meaning coach Ayo Fraser was the only substitute.

They came up against a full-strength Wimborne side and quickly fell behind.

READ MORE: Weymouth & Portland 26-5 Bridport - report

However, showing their now characteristic resilience and determination they gained a losing bonus point and were denied a fully-deserved draw when in the final play of the game they were held up on the line.

Daggers could not have got off to a worse start when Wimborne ran the ball back from the kick-off and forced a scrum from which they moved the ball down the line to score in the corner.

Daggers responded with some good possession rugby keeping Wimborne pinned down in their own half.

After a series of excellent scrums from the Daggers’ pack, Charlie Samways forced a penalty which Jordan Neil converted to narrow the gap to two points.

The game was now evenly balanced and whilst the Wimborne half-backs were creating problems with their intelligent passing and running, the Daggers’ defence held firm.

They got themselves into Wimborne’s 22 and a couple of quickly-taken penalties were repelled by the Wimborne defence.

When Neil was forced into touch on halfway after good handling by the backs, Wimborne’s Ryan Maidment made a clean break and with quick recycling the ball went down the line for a score in the corner which was well converted.

This was quickly followed by a third try when again the Wimborne backs ran good lines to score in the corner, leaving the Daggers 17-3 down at half-time.

The second half started with Bridport dominating possession and the scrums, taking two against the head in quick succession. With backs and forwards handling well they were playing the game in Wimborne’s 22.

After another dominant scrum, the forwards took the ball forward and Stuart Burton was held up just short. Quick ball from the ruck allowed Samways to feed Andy Easton to score an unconverted try in the corner for 17-8.

A Bridport infringement and subsequent Wimborne line-out saw their backs again run good lines to score an unconverted try, putting Daggers two scores down.

Daggers showed their resilience, enjoying their best part of the match with Jed Gravelle and Samways working the ball well from a dominant scrum and with the forwards going through the phases, forcing Wimborne to infringe.

From a quickly-taken penalty close to the posts the forwards drove Hugh Vivian over.

Daggers now went in search of the equalising try with the whole team involved keeping Wimborne in their 22.

However, despite all their efforts the opponent's defence held firm to the point where they held Daggers forwards up on the line with the last play of the match, denying them a draw which their second-half performance richly deserved.

The result means Daggers finish in fifth place in the standings.