BRIDPORT 37 DORCHESTER II 3

BRIDPORT earned revenge after suffering an agonising defeat away to Dorchester back in December.

The Blues were leading last year's contest 22-0 at half-time before eventually losing 24-22.

With a large and partisan crowd urging them on, the hosts were able to put the record straight, with an emphatic 37-3 victory, after scoring six tries in the process and restricting Dorchester to a solitary penalty.

Fierce early exchanges set the tone of the match, as befits a local derby, but it was Bridport who opened the scoring, with Dave Cutting getting over the line from a stolen Dorchester line-out. The kick came back off the posts.

The home side continued to press and the visitors did well to repel a number of attacks, albeit at the cost of a yellow card.

Down to 14, the visitors lost a scrum against the head in a vulnerable position and Ayo Fraser glided through to score under the posts. Ricky Stubbs added the conversion.

Dorchester’s best chance of a score was snuffed out by a great covering tackle from Ali McNab, but in the resulting scramble, Bridport incurred a yellow card for a high tackle, and from the penalty, the visitors claimed what was to be their only three points.

As the half came to an end, Bridport’s forwards were in the ascendency and Dorchester on the back foot, conceding another penalty, kicked successfully by Stubbs for 15-3.

The pattern continued in the second half, with Dorchester losing a player to a straight red card, and they were forced to defend most of the time.

Another stolen line-out and another try from short range, this time courtesy of a determined Tim Edwards. The kick was missed.

As a variation on a theme, the hosts set up a rolling maul from yet another line-out, from which James Tuck broke free to score virtually unchallenged.

As the visitors tired, Bridport’s backs enjoyed more space and were rewarded with a sharply taken try from George Pearce, and a very well- worked move led to a great score from McNab, the conversion added by Stubbs.