WARMINSTER 27

WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 24

WEYMOUTH & Portland were edged out with the final play of the match as Warminster claimed a 27-24 win in their Papa John’s Community Cup clash at Folly Lane.

It means the Wiltshire side progress to the next round of the Counties Two Championship section by the skin of their teeth.

Rich Bament’s Seahorses were ahead for most of the tie, before the Amber and Blues overturned their advantage at the death with a try underneath the posts.

Gritty defending from both sides characterised the opening exchanges but Will Quick broke the deadlock, James Baker kicking the conversion.

READ MORE: Chippenham Seconds 34-36 Weymouth & Portland - report

Warminster responded with a penalty for 7-3 but the visitors extended their lead on the stroke of half-time as captain Billy Hayne scored a try to punish the hosts for successive penalties.

In the second half, Weymouth & Portland had to settle for more Baker penalties.

However, Warminster centre James McIntyre proved a handful for the Seahorses and he crossed for two tries.

And the hosts dominated territory in the dying embers to force the winning converted try, knocking Weymouth & Portland out and ending their season to boot.

Speaking to Echosport, Bament said: “It was an evenly-contested game, two good sides.

“Their coach is a guy called Ben Parker, who I used to coach Dorchester with. He’s only been up there a short time but he’s already started quite an organised team.

“We did well to contain them for the first 20 minutes, they had a lot of the ball and we didn’t really give them any try-scoring opportunities.

“It was frustrating, I thought we could’ve held out. Fair play to them, they got the win.

“We’re disappointed but it’s a cup game, a one-game shootout. Unfortunately, on the day we weren’t as good as what we could’ve been.

“There’s no hard feelings about it, it’s been a good old season from the chaps. Our main aim was to get promoted and that’s what we’ve achieved.

“So, we’re not too downhearted about it.”

Weymouth & Portland achieved league promotion courtesy of a play-off win against Chippenham Seconds in the previous weekend.

Asked if there was a potential hangover from that win, Bament said: “Maybe yes, maybe no.

“The warm-up was a little disjointed and the pitch was a quagmire, there was a massive downpour, but it was the same for both teams.

“Maybe they did relax a little bit too much after achieving promotion the previous week.

“But, take nothing away from Warminster. They won on the day.”

Weymouth & Portland now enter a summer break before returning to pre-season in early July ahead of their Counties One Tribute Southern South campaign.