MINETY ambushed Corsham on their own Lacock Road ground after a topsy-turvy Dorset & Wilts Division One match.

The home side held the upper hand for much of this rousing league encounter, but two lapses in defence cost them dear as Minety capitalised on the chances offered them.

Corsham started the stronger of the two sides, but Minety's defences held firm and it was they who took the lead when James Tweedale fired a penalty close to the home line.

From the catch and drive, skipper and hooker Dave Peirce touched down.

Tweedale missed with the conversion but slotted a penalty soon after to make it 8-0.

Corsham regrouped and mounted a sustained spell of pressure in the visitors' half.

A chance went begging when wing Marc Rees stepped out in goal when touching down a try, but they eventually cut the deficit courtesy of two penalties from Denz Brockhurst.

Trailing 8-6 at the break, Corsham snatched the lead for the first time with an easy run-in try for fly-half Rory Auld, coverted by Brockhurst.

The home side, though, failed to tighten their grip at this crucial stage, and also lost skipper and hooker Tim Russell to a hamstring injury.

As Corsham's defence faltered, Tweedale scampered over from the blindside of a scrum and the scores were level.

Tweedale had a hand, or rather a boot, in Corsham's next try as his miscued cross kick was gathered by Brockhurst, who outsprinted the cover to touch down and regain the lead at 18-13.

The Minety fly-half made amends, however, as he broke through some absent tackling to touch down at the posts and convert himself for a decisive 20-18 lead.

Corsham threatened again in the closing stages but it wasn't to be, and Peirce grabbed his second try in the closing minutes.