A REDINGENSIANS side desperate to avoid relegation ultimately triumphed over mid table Devizes in the final league fixture of the season.

A makeshift Devizes side, included prop Simon Hall occupying a position in the centres, third team captain and flanker Ioan Beddoe in the second row and scrum half Andy Thompson languishing on the wing.

Gareth Jones stepped into the vacant flyhalf role, and not surprisingly the threequarter line was slightly disfunctional in attack, but resolute in defence.

Although the pack had a nucleus of seasoned campaigners, hooker Chris Billi, prop Charlie Rudler, number eight James Gaiger, flanker and skipper Tom Reed and experienced lock Jason Giddings, they were unable to guarantee their own set piece ball.

Consequently unable to control territory, the Saddlebacks spent long periods defending, which they did with great determination and effect.

Devizes might have opened their account early on when an ambitious James Pople penalty kick just went wide. Several penalties were exchanged so that Devizes were occasionally in scoring positions, but failed to finish. Quick hands and slick threequarter moves by the Redingensians' backline were only stopped by last ditch tackles.

A Pople injury led to further positional changes. Andy Webb switched to fullback and Dave O'Sullivan, still carrying an injury, appeared on the wing.

Webb missed two long range penalty kicks so that honours were even and scoreless at the break.

Hopes were raised after the restart, when Jones made a midfield break to take play into the Redingensians 22 where the home team won a scrum but lost the ball to a Tom Collins interception. He almost put Andy Thompson over in the corner .

Inevitably the home side's mountain of possession led to points and Redingensians executed a perfect scissors move to breach Devizes defence and score the first try

Against the run of play Devizes swept the ball upfield and were rewarded with a penalty that Andy Webb converted 7-3.

Redingensians returned to the attack but were held at bay until the last ten minutes when they ran through the Devizes defence to seal the game with a second try.