Dorset & Wilts Div One North

Minety 16 Melksham 12

DESPITE Melksham's flying start and strong finish it was the hosts Minety who hung on for a well-deserved win.

Playing down the slope and with the low sun at their backs Melksham scored a converted try after only four minutes.

Minety were stung into action, pressuring Melksham and were rewarded with a penalty, which Ash Windle turned into three points.

On 15 minutes Melksham scored their second try and began to look like running away with the game.

Minety had other ideas and increased the intensity of their play. The pressure told and another Windle penalty on 32 minutes made the half-time score 6-12.

A six-point cushion is rarely enough playing up the hill at Minety in the second half – and so it proved.

Soon after the re-start Windle slotted a further penalty in front of the posts.

Two minutes later came the decisive score. Following a line-out on the Minety 10-metre line the ball came to outside half Elis Garland and a move that also involved J R Hartley and Fred Howe resulted in dynamic hooker Michael Cesar racing down the touchline before scoring untouched under the posts.

Windle added the extras to give Minety an unassailable lead.

Minety threw everything at Melksham but couldn’t increase their advantage.

With five minutes remaining Melksham managed to get a foothold near the Minety line but despite the pressure the line held firm.