Jason Leonard RFU Under 20 County Rugby Championship result: East Midlands 20 pts v Dorset & Wilts 18, at Twickenham.
The Dorset and Wilts youngsters’ attempt to lift the trophy for the first time after suffering two previous losses ended in another defeat. However, the result could have gone either way and in the end, the outcome was decided by a penalty kick three minutes into extra time.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, the West Country boys lost three key players to injury, including two-thirds of their first-choice front row, and they had to replace both prop forwards.
It took time to re-organise the scrum and they conceded two tries in the first quarter of the game, one of which was converted.
Louis Allam thought he had scored a try, but the referee adjudged that he was held up and failed to ground the ball properly
As the match progressed, Dorset and Wilts began to win some useful possession, and it became very apparent that they had match winners in their backs if they could only feed them enough ball. It was desperate defence from the Midlanders that managed to keep them out.
However, the Midlands buckled under the pressure and were punished by conceding 3 penalties, all of which were converted to make the score at the break. East Midlands 12 points, Dorset and Wilts 9.
After the break Dorset and Wilts drew level courtesy of another penalty and the game seemed to be heading towards being decided by spot penalties as there was no extra time allowed.
Then Dorset and Wilts were caught napping, and from a cross-field kick, the Midlands winger pouched the ball and sprinted in unopposed to touchdown for their third try, which was not converted.
Dorset and Wilts now trailed by 17 points to 12, but more pressure resulted in a line out 5 meters shy of the Midlands line and winning possession the forwards shoved hooker Louis Allam over the try line, but the referee adjudged that he was held up and prevented from grounding the ball so no try was awarded.
However, as the clock ran down, the Midlands gave away 2 further penalties, both converted, the second by Connor Moore to take his tally to 3 and place Dorset and Wilts into a one-point lead, 18 to 17.
The stadium clock now read zero so only injury time to play could the West Country side hold out well no the Midlands re-start kick was taken in, and as Dorset and Wilts attempted to manage the final couple of minutes, the referee spotted an infringement and up stepped the East Midlands goal kicker to bisect the uprights and snatch victory for his team by 2 points leading to celebrations in the East Midlands camp leaving the Dorset and Wilts boys totally devastated.
For more photos of the match follow this link: idrismartin.wordpress.com
Dorset & Wilts scorers: Penalties, Connor Moore 3, George Yarwood 2 & Morgan Wellard.
T 20 Cricket results:
Match 1, Bere Regis beat Dorchester by 9 wickets.
Match 2, Dorchester beat Bere Regis by 9 wickets.
Match 1, Martinstown beat Swanage by 52 runs.
Match 2, Swanage beat Martinstown by 2 wickets.
Dorset league results:
Portland Red Triangle beat Weymouth by 2 wickets, Stalbridge beat Beaminster by 10 wickets, Puddletown beat Broadstone second team by 7 wickets and Symene Sports beat Abbotsbury by 10 wickets.