Corsham on top (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Corsham on top

CORSHAM took another step towards promotion as they secured a hard-earned 14-6 victory at Calne in Saturday's rousing Dorset & Wilts Division One North encounter.

The visitors came out of the blocks quickly against their third-placed hosts and the early pressure yielded a drop-goal from outside-half Haydn Brockhurst.

The home side gained little change in the set piece and that made life difficult for their threequarters. Behind the boot of Paul Jenkins, though, they managed to gain a foothold in Corsham territory. And when the visitors stepped offside, scrum-half and skipper Andy Donegan kicked his side level.

Corsham's progress continued to be checked by errors in the second half, but playing to a better game plan, they began to threaten.

Early in the second period, following a long, raking kick from scrum-half Craig Avent, No 8 Ben Russell wrestled over in the corner for the only try of the game.

Full-back Denzil Brockhurst missed with the conversion but landed a penalty soon after to put the visitors 11-3 ahead.

Calne earned a second penalty, slotted again by Donegan, but Corsham's pack responded, and a renewed effort had Calne's defences creaking.

The pressure eventually yielded a penalty, and Brockhurst stepped up to put his side two scores in front and effectively seal the result.