COACH Mick Haynes saluted his side as Pewsey Vale marched into the final of the Southern Counties Junior Vase with a hard-fought victory in Buckinghamshire.

Haynes' men will travel to Didcot on February 6 for the right to progress into the national stages of the competition as they held the upper hand in filthy conditions.

Haynes said: "It was a determined team performance that confirmed us as a terrifically effective team, that can adapt to conditions and unknown opponents.

"This was as well as we have played since the start of the season given the competitive opposition and the overhead/underfoot conditions.''

The sodden pitch slowed pace and much of the action took place in midfield, toing and froing with neither side getting good field position.

At the set pieces Pewsey dominated the scrum putting Winslow under pressure, the hosts doing better in the lineout reducing Vale’s attacking options.

Winslow, playing with the wind kicked for position but a man of the match performance, under the high ball from Pewsey full-back Frank Poulson thwarted their ambition.

Pewsey attacked keeping the ball in hand and made several incursions into the Winslow 22 metre and on the half hour the deadlock was broken by a well-taken penalty by Vale’s fly-half James Haynes.

Into the second half with the wind at their back, and a three-point lead, Pewsey pressure in attack and a top-drawer defence gradually took its toll on the home side.

The breakthrough came from a move that put hooker Jeremy Horton over the gain line. This set prop Phil Hobbs for a crash ball and he was rocketed over the line by lock Darren Draper and wing Toni Bloomfield for the touchdown, unconverted.

Winslow came out of the blocks at the restart with a furious assault that pressured the resilient Pewsey defence, but it was not found wanting.

Vale number eight Phil Vallis broke out and, in a similar move to the first try Horton finished off with a final drive over the whitewash, centre Ty Lewis adding the extras.

Meanwhile, Minety's Southern Counties Senior Vase semi final against Gosford All Blacks is due to be played this weekend after a pitch inspection last Saturday morning forced the postponement of the tie.

Minety may look for an alternative venue if their Playing Fields surface is again unplayable.

Chippenham slipped to a 26-13 defeat to Cleve to remain bottom of National Three South West on Saturday.