MINETY returned to winning ways with a convincing win at Trowbridge in Dorset & Wilts Division One North.

With a swirling breeze behind them the Minety forwards soon exerted control and their domination was converted into points in the 17th minute when scrum-half Garin Garland kicked a penalty.

Despite dominating most of the open play it took Minety until the 35th minute to register their first try, centre Max Sparrow dummying the defence and allowing flanker Steve Brown to score.

With Garland converting, and then slotting another penalty, the visitors reached half time 13 points up.

The destiny of the league points was settled early on in the second half when skipper Wallace Hibberd raced through the Trowbridge line to score under the posts and Garland converted to stretch the lead to 20 points.

In the 52nd minute Garland stormed through for a try of his own, which he duly converted, before outside centre Luke Ratcliffe was on the end of a flowing backs’ move for Minety’s fourth try of the game, again converted by Garland.

A penalty from Garland three minutes from time capped a brilliant individual performance from the young scrum-half.

Minety coach Andy Ward, whose side went third in the table, said, “We stepped up two levels and put the last two defeats well behind us.

"Our set pieces worked well and we hardly lost any ball from either scrum or lineout.

"To win at Trowbridge is a real feather in our caps. To win that convincingly, shutting out the opposition in the process, was just brilliant.”

Captain Hibberd added: “The scrum worked really well but it was a whole squad performance.

"Our defences held tight and we put in some great tackles at crucial moments.

" felt that, possibly for the first time this season, our forwards and backs worked really well together.

"f we can maintain this level of performance we will take some stopping.''