PEWSEY Vale lifted the Dorset & Wilts Plate with a hard-fought success over Weymouth in the final at Warminster.

Both teams played with ball in hand and a determined go-forward attitude, balanced by equally determined defences that were brutal in their efficiency, Vale’s dominance at scrum time proving key to their success.

Pewsey opened the scoring with centre James Campbell slotting a penalty after three minutes.

As both teams tried to settle, Weymouth gained a penalty taking the score to 3-3 after 10 minutes.

The next 20 minutes was all Pewsey possession and territory.

Weymouth held firm and it was following a scrum on the five metre, a pick and go by number eight Phil Vallis fixed the defence at the subsequent ruck.

Quick ball from scrum-half Nick Damper to fly-half James Haynes had the defence scrambling and Haynes went over for the five points, Campbell adding the extras.

Weymouth caught Pewsey off guard with the restart, collecting the ball and dashing in a converted try.

They got a second score two minutes later with a great individual run from their number five, who dotted down in the corner for a 15-10 lead.

Pewsey pressure was turned on and a power-play maul from a scrum drove for the line, prop Phil Hobbs having scored but Campbell’s conversion attempt hitting the post as the sides went in all square.

The second half was fraught for both teams, neither wanting to make an unforced error.

Play was tight and tense and Pewsey broke the deadlock with a Campbell penalty, Weymouth guilty of not releasing, the player being sent to the sin-bin.

A serious injury to a Weymouth player then delayed matters for 10 minutes as he was treated and escorted off the field.

This interruption blunted Vale’s attack and seemed to stiffen Weymouth’s resolve to get through the 10 minutes of bin time.

Restored to 15 men, it was Weymouth back on the scoreboard with five minutes to go plus injury time with a penalty as Pewsey centre Chris Takel picked up a yellow card for offside.

Injury time ran to 15 minutes but, down to 14 men, Pewsey pulled out all the stops to be rewarded with a penalty.

Campbell’s first attempt into a strong gusting wind fell short, but two Weymouth players had charged the kick and a retake was ordered, the Pewsey man making no mistake second time around.