Dorset & Wilts Div One North
Minety 22
Combe Down 25
MINETY’S fine run of victories in the league came to an end when they were edged out 25-22 by unbeaten Combe Down in an encounter decided by the last kick of the match, writes Graham Cooke.

Playing up the slope, and into the wind, Minety found themselves having to defend desperately in the opening exchanges as the confident Combe Down outfit launched attack after attack.

The visitors opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Minety were punished at a ruck in front of the posts.

The home side attacked from the restart and when second row Ash Windle caught a line-out ball and set up a ruck on the try line, Garin Garland picked up and dived over for Minety’s first try; the young scrum half converted his try for 7-3.

Minety increased the lead in the 15th minute. Winning a scrum 20 metres from the Combe Down line, No.8 Andrew Hibbard set up a ruck and when Garland kicked ahead, flanker Josh Bull was the first to react, catching the ball and diving over.

Combe Down struck back and the pressure led to Minety being penalised with the visiting fly half converting the penalty (12-6).

Minety, unable to gain any ground kicking into the fierce wind, tried to break out down the centre but the ball was lost and the Combe Down full back won a sprint to the corner flag to touch down for their opening try.

Minety responded with a converted try of their own to make it 19-11 at half-time when Matt Roberts accepted fly half Adam Watts’ long pass to burst through the defence for Minety’s third try. Given that the visitors had conceded one try in their first four league matches, Minety had put in a fine 40 minutes of rugby.

With the advantage of the slope and the wind, the home side started the second half in confident mood.

But against the run of play, Combe Down benefited from sloppy defensive work to bring the score back to 19-16.

A fine drizzle made both the ball and ground slippery and the visitors adapted better, levelling the scores at 19-all when Minety were caught offside in front of their posts. Combe Down then edged ahead in the 71st minute with another penalty.

Strong running from Minety pushed their rivals back and when the visitors were penalised at the ruck, Garland kicked the penalty to tie the match at 22-22.

A cruel bounce of the ball from a high kick put Minety on the back foot as both teams went for the win. A penalty, a throw-in and three rucks later, Minety were penalised and with the last kick of the match, Combe Down took the win 25-22.

Coach Andy Grayson said: “We played our best half of rugby in the first half and the worst half of rugby in the second.

“I’m really disappointed. We should have put the game to bed at half-time. We let it slip. Now we must make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”

This week Minety travel to the other unbeaten team in the league Bradford-on-Avon.

In the weekend’s other fixture, tries from Rob Hinwood, Jon Blair (2) and Dale Langdown saw Minety’s 2nd XV overcome Swindon III by 34-19 in D&W3N.