CORSHAM surged from behind to book their place in the Dorset & Wilts Vase quarter-finals with a 15-7 victory over Blandford at Lacock Road on Saturday.

The Wiltshire side had already lost to their visitors in an earlier Dorset & Wilts Division One encounter and exacted some revenge with this victory but at a cost.

They lost tighthead Ed Minty with an ankle injury in the first half, and wing Tom Sandell with a leg injury in the second period, while fly-half Rory Auld and flanker Andy Redgwell also sustained knocks in what was a bruising and uncompromising contest.

Blandford scored on the half-hour with a try from full-back Mark Beckett, converted by hooker Lee Robbins.

The home side responded with a try from second row Rob Turner his second in successive outings and that left Blandford with a slender 7-5 lead at the break.

Corsham eventually went in front midway through the second half with a try from blindside Rob Snape-Johnson.

And Corsham gave themselves some breathing space with a second try from Snape-Johnson, the reward for more good support play from the flanker.

They now face Bradford on Avon, their Bath Combination Cup opponents, in what could be a double-header in their county cup quarter-final on February 7.