Dorset & Wilts Div One North

Pewsey Vale 14 Cricklade 20

CRICKLADE repeated their opening-day victory over Pewsey Vale – only their second win of the campaign – as they brought a tough season in Div One North to a close.

After opting for promotion, five stalwarts of the team either retired or accepted offers from other clubs.

Subsequently Cricklade had to endure a number of long-term injuries resulting in a number of terrible maulings, along with games in which they lost leads in the final minutes.

However, the team stuck together, found humour in adversity, and managed to end the season on a high.

Pewsey, playing down the slope and with the wind at their backs, had the conditions in their favour but didn’t take full advantage, scoring just two converted tries against a penalty and one converted try for the visitors.

The hosts drove hard at Cricklade for the first 15 minutes of the second half, but some clever kicking from Nick Bond and Lewis Prosser sent them back in their own half time and time again and the visitors' tackling, rucking and mauling kept them there.

Pewsey defended well, but Arron Watkins was scaring the hell out of them. Every time he was able to carry the ball at speed he just burst through the defence and having scored Cricklade's try in the first half, he muscled his way over the line and under the posts for his second; Bond slotted the kick for the other points.

From the restart the visitors regained possession and were again threatening the Pewsey line. But for a dangerous tackle another try would have been added and Bond took the penalty points offered.

The game then petered out with Cricklade unable to take further advantage of their superiority.