Trowbridge Back to Winning Way’s

Trowbridge produced a good performance to defeat local rivals Swindon, the home team kicked off and Swindon went on the attack forcing Trowbridge to defend and it was ten minutes before the home side’s forwards started to dominate the set pieces, that they got enough possession to enable them to turn the tables and make Swindon defend a strong counter attack. Both sides defences held firm until Trowbridge stretched the Swindon defence, creating enough space out wide for youngster Shia Bonnick to score. A Lloyd Davis conversion made the score seven – nil after twenty minutes, only for the visitors to be penalized for going off their feet at the breakdown. Almost from the restart, Lloyd Davis slotting the resulting penalty from forty five metres to make the score ten – nil. Swindon now moved their game up a gear forcing the home side back in defence once again, until captain Adam Westall got in behind the home defence to score under the posts, then added the conversion to reduce the arrears to three points making the score to ten – seven. Then came the try of the game. James Davies gathering the ball sixty metres out he ran through and around the Swindon defence to score under the posts giving Lloyd Davis a simple conversion to increase the lead to seventeen – seven. The lead was increased still further when the visitors backs went offside side. Davis was again successful with the penalty goal, twenty – seven, Trowbridge again found themselves back in defence with Swindon mounting several powerful counter attack forcing a penalty and a yellow card for Trowbridge Dan Phillips. The visitors choose to kick to touch but the home side won the resulting line out, Dan Smith running into space and producing an excellent kick to touch putting the home side with in a few metres of the Swindon line. Again Trowbridge won the line out and with a catch and drive move went over to score, Dan Smith coming up with the ball to claim the try, and Davis added the extra’s making the score twenty seven – seven at the break (27-7).
Swindon now under pressure to get back into the game started the second half at pace forcing a penalty almost from the restart. Scrum half Connal Knott took a quick tap and go catching the home defence napping and went in under the posts untouched, giving Adam Westall a simple conversion reducing the lead to twenty seven – fourteen. Again the visitors came back in attack forcing another penalty. Adam Westall was again successful to make the score twenty seven – seventeen. With Swindon forcing the game and the home pack still dominant in the set piece, their only option was to run what little possession they had through their good set of backs. This they did to good effect sending in centre Adam Dobie to score out wide. This time Adam Westall missed with the conversion making the score twenty seven – twenty two. Into the last ten minutes of the game, a very nervous home crowd watched as Trowbridge were awarded another successful penalty from Lloyd Davis to ease the tension. Now the visitors put everything into another attack, but in doing so left themselves exposed in defence, again running the ball through their backs Trowbridge Lee Fairclough managed to intercept a pass running clear passing the ball to James Davies in support who ran in to score out wide. Lloyd Davis missed the conversion to end the game thirty five – twenty two (35-22).
Trowbridge’s position did not change as a result of this victory, but it does put them within striking distance of teams up to fourth in the league with only one further win. The results this week had an element of surprise with all of the bottom three clubs winning. Witney also beat second placed Towcestrians who Trowbridge visit for the first time next Saturday, and the Doric Park side travel to Witney the week after.