Tribute Dorset & Wilts Division 1 Promotion Play Off Game.
Chippenham 34 pts Weymouth & Portland 36.
The Seahorses overcame the handicap of playing on an artificial surface for the first time to emerge victors and return to the Southern Counties league for the 3rd time since the advent of league rugby in 1987.
It was a ding dong encounter with the lead changing on numerous occasions and the outcome in doubt until the final kick of the game when a Chippenham conversion attempt fell short of the posts and the referee ending the game with a blast of his whistle signalling wild celebrations in the ranks of visiting players coaches and their travelling supporters.
Next season will be a big challenge for Weymouth & Portland, but it is a challenge that head coach Rich Bament says his players will rise to.
Weymouth’s football club’s National League South survival is looking even more perilous following Saturday’s 1 goal to nil away defeat against fellow strugglers Chesham and as the number of games remaining this season is now down to 7 with the Terras currently in 23rd place out of 24 in the league table.
There was no score going into the final minutes of the match then in the 89th minute Chesham scored to deny Weymouth a league point to take back to the Bob Lucas Stadium.
In the Southern League Dorchester lost out to visitors Merthyr Town 2 nil, speaking after the game boss Glenn Howes said: “”I felt it wasn’t for a lack of effort, but we lacked a little bit of identity and we’ve got to be more patient with the ball”.
Portland United had to come from behind at United Services Portsmouth to eventuly win the Wessex League fixture by 3 goals to 1. The Blues scores came from Jack Delves, Hayden Scott and Baily Rowe, that makes it 5 wins on the spin for Kyle Critchell’s men.
Bridport’s Southwest Peninsular East match at Dartmouth was drifting towards a no score draw that is until the 89th minute of the game when the Bees snatched all 3 points with a strike from Kieran Daniels.
