MINETY had the consolation of two bonus points in defeat as their first home match of the Dorset & Wilts One North season ended in a 36-29 loss to Marlborough II.

The hosts started strongly as Ben Collins scored on the back of a catch and drive from a lineout, with Luke Radcliffe adding a fine long-range conversation.

Missed tackles let Marlborough back into the game as they scored two quick converted tries in succession to turn the match on its head.

Minety responded as Collins once again struck from a lineout for his second try to make it 14-12 to the visitors before Marlborough extended their lead with a penalty.

The home side finished the half the stronger and Colin French latched onto a pass from Dellam Murray to cross the whitewash and that was followed by a fine solo effort from Radcliffe, who also added the extras to his own score to give Minety a 24-17 lead at half-time.

Playing up the slope after the break, Minety dominated the early exchanges and were unlucky not to pull further ahead as Jay Thompson saw a try disallowed.

Marlborough hit back strongly and missed tackles, a lapse in concentration and a soft interception gave them three unanswered tries to storm into a 36-24 lead.

The loss of the influential Radcliffe to injury compounded Minety’s issues, although they rallied to salvage both a losing and try bonus point with their fourth touchdown off the day courtesy of Andrew Hibbard off the base of a scrum.

Elsewhere, Sutton Benger made it two wins from two this season with a 29-17 victory at home to Calne.

  • PEWSEY Vale were 22-12 winners away at Amesbury in Dorset & Wilts Two North.

Vale opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Phil Vallis picked up from the base of a penalty scrum and powered over the whitewash, with Sam Flippance adding the extras.

On the half-hour, in a rare foray into Vale’s 22 saw Amesbury drive forward from a lineout where they crashed over for a converted try.

The visitors were soon driving forward again and, 10 minutes before half-time, Olly Spence broke through several tackles to dot down between the posts, with Flippance's conversion putting Vale 14-7 up at the break.

At the end of the third quarter, Amesbury saw a penalty kick go wide of the posts but a mix-up in the Pewsey defence allowed the hosts to gather the loose ball and score an unconverted try.

Pewsey had the final word, though, and Spence took a quick tap penalty to run in unopposed for a try before a late penalty from Flippance wrapped up the win.