CORSHAM concluded their Dorset and Wilts Division One campaign with a hard-earned victory over their Melksham neighbours.

With Supermarine defeating Blandford on the final Saturday of the season, the Lacock Road outfit climbed two places into a healthier mid-table position, which meant delight for coach Neville Smith.

The home side were once again hit by untimely injury and illness and, after a last-minute reshuffle and the call-up of winger Tom Sandell, they started the quieter of the two sides.

Cooper-Avon Tyres got their noses in front with a penalty but after losing their No 8 to the sin-bin, for over-eager use of the boot, they found themselves pegged back by a penalty from Corsham full back Nick Denham.

The hosts then had Sandell sin-binned for an illegal shoulder charge and it was during his absence that the Melksham visitors threatened down the left.

The pressure eventually paid off as full-back Paul Simmons scampered over, and touched down under the posts for a simple conversion.

The visitors, at this stage, were in the ascendancy, and it took a determined effort for Corsham to pull themselves back into the game.

This they did, and a try for flanker Rich Morea, after a close-range forward drive, cut the deficit to 10-8 at the break.

Corsham seized the initiative in style when a flowing move saw Sandell gather and touch down fly-half Haydn Brockhurst's clever kick to the corner.

Cooper-Avon found themselves having to kick more, to relieve the mounting pressure, but one from breakout they regained the lead with a try.

An unconverted try from Tony Iacono put Corsham back in the driving seat, until they suffered their second yellow card.

Flanker Rob Snape-Johnson was sin-binned for killing ball close to his own line and that gave the visitors numerical superiority in the closing stages.

The Melksham side's pressure yielded a penalty from scrum-half Jon Cox to level the scores, and that looked to be the end of it.

But Simmons was penalised in the dying moments, for throwing the ball at an opponent, and from a difficult angle, Brockhurst stepped up to slot the winning kick.

Cooper-Avon Tyres 2nd 5

Corsham 2nd 53

CORSHAM'S second string rattled up a half-century against their Cooper-Avon Tyres counterparts in Saturday's Bath Combination 2nd XV Merit encounter at Melksham.

In a comprehensive display, Corsham surged into a 29-0 lead courtesy of

tries from centres Charlie Minty and Martyn Shepherdson, Andy Archer, Joe Bryant and Wes Newsom and two conversions from the boot of Steve Tye.

The visitors added a further four tries in the second half, Bryant, Archer and Minty with their second and Roy Hewett also crossing over. Tye added a third conversion, with hooker Andy Donald converting the final try.

Corsham seconds finish their season this Saturday with a friendly away to their Avon counterparts.