PEWSEY gave themselves an outside chance of avoiding relegation in Dorset & Wilts One North with a bonus-point win against their mid-table opponents.

Heading into their final match at home to Combe Down this weekend, Vale are four points behind Devizes 2nd, who still have two games to play.

The visitors were under pressure at the scrum and, at the end of the first quarter, Vale full back Sikeli Ratubuli angled his run to touch down under the posts, fly-half James Haynes converting.

On the half hour Vale broke through again with a move down the narrow side following driving forward play finished off by Haynes, who added the conversion.

The loss of centre Q Qiolevu to a torn hamstring as he broke from centre field upset Vale’s rhythm and put them on the back foot, but relief came with an interception and 60m sprint in from centre Chris Spence, converted by scrum-half Tom Taylor.

Chippenham responded immediately and with 25 minutes to go scorched in for a converted try.

They kept up the pressure and five minutes later Spence was sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on, facing a three on one overlap.

Pewsey showed real character to resist a now-energised Chippenham and, restored to 15 men, their advantage in the scrum took its toll.

Following pressure in the visitors’ 22, number eight Phil Vallis went over for the bonus point try with five minutes to go, Taylor adding the two points.

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