Trowbridge determined performance wins day

This was the first ever league match between the two clubs, though Trowbridge beat their Oxfordshire opponents 17-14 in an RFU Intermediate Cup match in the Green Lane mud in 2006.
Witney attacked from the start but after missing an early penalty it was Trowbridge who opened the scoring after 5 minutes when Lloyd Davis kicked a penalty on their first visit into the Witney half. Witney then responded with a straight forward Henry Lamb penalty 5 minutes later.
The Trowbridge forwards had the better of the first half and were prompted by Davis’ tactical kicking which gave them territorial advantage but they were unable to break the Witney defence. During one of their attacks Barry Coombs made a good break int o the Witney 22 but was injured in the tackle around 5 metres out. He had to leave the field to be replaced by Dan Smith but was able to return to action later in the match. Lamb kicked another penalty for Witney after half an hour but Davis evened things up with 35 minutes gone and regained the lead for Trowbridge just before the break to make the score 9-6.
The pattern of the match continued in the second half with neither side able to break through and several times promising moves from both sides breaking down with turnovers in possession and penalties at the breakdown. Davis kicked a penalty to increase Trowbridge's lead but Lamb first reduced the lead with a penalty and then equalled the score when Trowbridge were caught offside with 15 minutes to go.
A tense period followed in a period when Trowbridge begin to struggle in the tight. However mistakes from the visitors and some good Trowbridge pressure at the breakdown brought three kickable penalties. By this time Lloyd Davis had left the field so the responsibility was given to Tom Weaver. He hit the post with the first kick and the second one fell just short. Trowbridge's dogged determination forced a third penalty in the last minute. This time Weaver converted from 30 metres to give Trowbridge a win that they just about deserved but the result could have gone either way.
In the other South West one East matches Chippenham just won 10-9 at Newbury, while Towcestrians beat Trowbridge's next opponents Windsor in the other top of the table match by 39 to 26. Devizes' losing run continued at Maidenhead with a 24-10 defeat and Reading and Buckingham drew 27-27. Leighton Buzzard won 25-22 at home to Grove and Swindon beat winless Bletchley 31-11.