Winscombe’s emphatic victory over a Hornets second string, sets up a final league fixture of the year against Nailsea & Backwell.

Hornets 2nd XV 10 pts

Winscombe 57 pts

After a slow start, Winscombe eventually overcame a Hornets second string, to run out comfortable winners.

After 30 minutes with no score, Winscombe gained a line-out close to the Hornets line and executed the perfect catch and drive for No 8 Will Thomas to score wide out, which Sam Dearsley converted.

Hornets replied when their winger crossed the line for an unconverted try. Winscombe’s superior fitness and experience began to tell with centre Owen Howell powering through to score under the posts which Dearsley converted.

Just before half-time, Winscombe’s scrum set up another rolling maul for flanker Stewart Warren to score an unconverted try to lead 19-5 at the break.

The second half saw the floodgates open when Dearsley punched through the Hornets defence to run in unopposed to score and convert the try. Hornets rallied and crossed for their second unconverted try

During the game, Winscombe scrum-half Jim Merryfield deserved his man of the match accolade for his persistence, awareness and in conjunction with fly-half Jim Rutherford, their control and ability to open up the game at the right moment.

From a scrum, Merryfield out-sprinted the opposition to score an individual try under the post, which Rutherford converted.

The rest of the afternoon was a case of the Winscombe pack securing the ball and feeding their backs who put on a fine display of co-ordinated running and passing, with full-back Edward Bourton leading the way with an unconverted try.

This was followed by a brace of tries from winger Callum Stewart. Rutherford converted one and also the last try of the afternoon from centre Ben Burkes set up again by Merryfield and Rutherford.

The victory sets Winscombe up nicely for the final league match of the season at home to Nailsea & Backwell this Saturday. This is followed on April 30 by the Somerset/Gloucester Premiership play-off when Winscombe host Cirencester to see which team gets promoted.