MINETY seconds held on for a narrow away win in a bruising game against Swindon thirds.

Dorset & Wilts Div 3 North

Swindon III 7

Minety II 12

Playing into a low sun, Minety were first on the scoreboard thanks to a try from flanker Stacey Skinner.

The Swindon pack led the home team’s reply which saw them eventually wrestle the ball over the line for a forwards’ try. A successful conversion gave them the lead and made it 7-5 at half-time.

In a bad tempered second-half, Minety scrum half Dellam Murray was temporarily forced to leave the pitch for running repairs after he got caught at the bottom of a particularly spirited ruck.

Forced back into their own 22, the visitors mounted a rearguard action and managed, but only just, to keep their opponents from scoring. Then centres Simon Rowe and Nick Skelton broke out and between them took play down to the other end of the field, where Swindon were awarded a five-metre scrum.

Winning ball against the head, the Minety pack heeled it straight to the patched-up Murray, who lost no time in bundling over for a try.

The conversion made it 7-12, but Swindon still managed to cross the line in the dying minutes of the game, only to be prevented from grounding the ball by Murray’s desperate last-ditch defence.