MINETY returned to league action for the first time in more than a month with a convincing five-try 36-0 win over Trowbridge on Saturday in Dorset & Wilts One North.

The village team had lost three recent matches to the weather and face a fixtures backlog that will see them in action every Saturday between now and the end of the season.

Yet other than the heavy defeat at title-chasing Combe Down, Tom Claxton’s team have been impressive in 2018, winning four of their five fixtures and scoring 107 points while conceding just three.

A fine break from Andrew Hibbard, allowed scrum-half Garin Garland to feed Tom McAllister, who orchestrated a complex mis-move in the centre to send full-back Matt Roberts racing away.

In the 14th minute, Garland spotted a gap to squeeze through after a period of sustained pressure on the opposition try line and his successful conversion put Minety 12 points clear.

Garland’s penalty, after Trowbridge were caught offside, extended the lead to 15 and the hard-charging centre Jack Howse opened the scoring in the second half, intercepting a pass and running 30 metres to score beneath the posts. Garland’s conversion was successful.

The dominant Minety pack drove over the line and Ward touched down to secure the four-try bonus point after 60 minutes, Garland landing the conversion.

The scoring was concluded when Garland picked up and crossed for his second and converted.

Coach Andy Grayson said: “Scoring 36 and conceding none is excellent but we know that we left a lot of points out on that pitch and we looked rusty. We will need to step up our performance next week when we take on table-topping Bradford on Avon here.

"The lack of competitive action recently has taken the edge off our play. We need to get training and make sure our support play is much improved.”

Built on a foundation of go forward rugby and sound communication Pewsey crafted a six-try 36-10 win over Chippenham 2nd.

Vale opened the scoring on 10 minutes as number eight Jonny Mantle went crashing over in the corner.

Fifteen minutes later, with Chippenham pressing towards Pewsey’s 22, they coughed up a penalty, quickly taken by scrum-half Nick Damper and the ball was swiftly sent wide with hooker Jeremy Horton finishing the move.

From the restart prop Olly Spence collected the ball, breaking through several tackles he reached the visitors’ 22 before off-loading to James Haynes who dotted down between the posts before adding the extras.

Five minutes into the second half Chippenham romped over in the corner but from a lineout on the visitors’ 10 metre line Mantle broke infield and charged forward to score a superb individual try, wing Tom Regan adding the two points.

With 10 minutes to go Spence took a quick penalty to run in unopposed, Regan taking the extras before Chippenham replied from the restart with a well taken try in the corner, unconverted.

With a minute to go flanker Olly Lavis dashed 50 metres downfield and wing Will Bowerman was in support and took the pass to score.