SALISBURY SECONDS 36 BRIDPORT 22

TWO breakaway tries deep into the second half proved the difference between these sides in an entertaining Dorset & Wilts One South encounter.

Rory Greening, Tony Herbert, Donald Farmer and skipper Ricky Stubbs grabbed tries for Bridport but a couple of length-of-the-field scores took the hosts clear in the closing stages.

Salisbury opened the scoring with a try in the first four minutes and repeated the feat with an added conversion soon after.

Flanker Greening got Bridport on the board when he touched down on 16 minutes and hooker Herbert followed in his footsteps to cut the lead to 12-10.

Salisbury pulled five points clear with a third try on the half hour but a superb individual touch down from centre Farmer made it 17-15 to the home side as Bridport kept in touch.

Two penalties moved Salisbury 23-15 ahead only for Bridport captain Stubbs, playing at fly-half, to seal a bonus point with a fourth try. Farmer converted this time and Bridport were right back in it at 23-22.

A third penalty gave the Wiltshire outfit some breathing space but with Bridport pressurising the home defence it looked like they would lose their lead.

However, twice in the space of six minutes Salisbury broke away to score two almost identical tries which gave Bridport too much of a mountain to climb.

“When it went to 23-22 we were attacking quite well and they were faltering,” said Bridport team manager Arthur Barclay. “If we hadn’t given away those two late tries it could have gone either way.

“But for an inexperienced side with a lot of youngsters playing we did really well.

“They were a well-drilled side but we stood up and gave 100 percent. I was pleased with the performance but it just wasn’t good enough on the day.”

Warminster away on Saturday (2.30pm) is next on the agenda for Bridport, who only have three games left this season, all of which are on the road.

It will again be a young team they take to Warminster as Bridport target a league double following a 43-3 triumph at home on the second weekend of the season.

Bridport Seconds, who lost 61-8 to Lytchett Minster Seconds last weekend, do not have a league fixture this Saturday.

* The Bridport clubhouse will be open this Saturday for the culmination of the Six Nations as Wales host Grand Slam-chasing England.