RUGBY: Minety earn promotion

9:52am Monday 28th April 2008

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MINETY will be playing Southern Counties rugby next season after a tense 7-0 triumph over Bridport in the Dorset & Wilts play-off final.

In the tightest of games, it was only determined tackling by the whole team that kept Minety in the hunt until a try by winger Ryan Dowling finally saw them through.

Minety were forced to draw deep on their reserves after a combination of injury and unavailability left them short on numbers for the season finale.

As it worked out, the recalls not only excelled themselves, but also brought the very best out of the younger players around them.

Bridport pressed hard from the off and it wasn't long before they had their opponents penned back on their own line.

Their cause was severely dented, however when one of their props broke his leg. The player concerned was a key impact runner who had scored many tries in previous games.

Minety survived the initial onslaught and gradually came into their own. Twice they crossed their opponents' line only to have apparent scores disallowed.

With hooker Andy Moran throwing in perfectly to the lineouts and the rest of the front five on top form, the home side dominated up front but the visitors looked dangerous every time they moved the ball out wide.

Flyhalf Tim Vaughan played a masterful game for Minety, as did centre Gareth Dyer, who tackled tirelessly all afternoon.

The back-row were also outstanding both in defence and with the ball in hand. Charlie Gawthropp and Max Smith excelled themselves, while James Smith put on an astonishingly skilled and astute display on his belated return to first team rugby.

The breakthrough eventually came for Minety when Bridport dropped a pass just inside their own half.

Before anyone else could react, Dowling was through on the ball, scooping it up and sprinting for the line. He had 40 metres to run but no one could stop him.

The successful conversion left Minety with a seven-point lead and 20 minutes left in which to defend it.

Bridport gave it their all, but they couldn't break their opponents' steely grip on the game and it will be Minety who go up to Southern Counties next season.

"This was a great end to a fantastic season," said skipper Martin Coe after the game.

"Competing in Southern Counties again will be a huge challenge but we're looking forward to it and by the way they've played today, the guys have shown that they are certainly up for it."