Sidmouth RFC clinch victory against Royal Wootton Bassett

The match began with Sidmouth dominating possession for the first 15 minutes, sticking to their attacking plan and executing well.

However, Royal Wootton Bassett's defence held strong, and both teams were unwilling to concede much ground.

Sidmouth was reduced to 14 men early on after Phil Dollman received a yellow card for a high tackle.

Royal Wootton Bassett capitalised on this and scored the first points of the match, taking a 7-0 lead at half-time.

The second half mirrored the first, with Sidmouth again enjoying plenty of possession.

They made their first entry into the final quarter count, with Shaun Malton scoring a try after a well-worked phase.

The wind seemed to be in Sidmouth's sails as they gained momentum and pressure led to a second try for Malton, although the kick was unsuccessful.

Sidmouth's dominance continued, leading to a yellow card for Royal Wootton Bassett after multiple warnings at the breakdown.

Royal Wootton Bassett managed to fight back and a well-executed cross-field kick resulted in a try for their winger.

With the score at 12-10 to the home side and only ten minutes left, Sidmouth showed resilience and returned to the Royal Wootton Bassett try line.

They created an attacking opportunity but failed to convert a three-on-one out wide.

Royal Wootton Bassett defended their line with aggressive tackles and smart play around the breakdown.

In the dying minutes of the game, a kick exit that didn’t make touch was well returned by Sam Heathcote, who made great yards into the Royal Wootton Bassett half.

From that breakdown, a cynical penalty from Royal Wootton Bassett gave man of the match Phil Dollman a chance to win it from 45 metres straight in front of the posts, which he duly converted.

With 30 seconds left on the clock, Sidmouth stole a Royal Wootton Bassett lineout and managed to get the ball off the pitch, securing a hard-earned victory on the road.

Next week serves as a rest week for the first team.