SWANAGE & Wareham’s eight-match winning run came to an end with a 15-6 defeat at Southern Counties South champions Wells.

In a keenly-contested clash, it was the hosts who looked likelier to score during the opening exchanges and took the lead after 25 minutes with a clever catch-and-drive move.

Charlie Parish narrowed the gap with a successfully kicked penalty, while Wells chose to tap and go when they had the opportunity to kick, a policy which paid dividends with a second unconverted try just before the half-time break.

Parish’s second kick made it 10-6 at the interval and defences were largely on top after the restart before the title winners grabbed the try they needed to close out the game on 65 minutes.

Wells successfully broke from the scrum and swiftly spread the play to leave Swans overrun, giving the hosts much-needed breathing space.

The defeat saw the Bestwall outfit drop to fifth in the league table ahead of their final fixture against North Dorset a week on Saturday.

Swans’ slip in the standings came about after Wimborne battled their way to a 17-13 victory at third-bottom Corsham to leapfrog their neighbours.

In a match littered with errors, the Minstermen took a 15th-minute lead when Steve King combined with winger Tom Brown offloading for Rob Best to score a try which was converted by James Mikolajewski.

Corsham soon levelled following a tap-and-go penalty but Mikolajewski gave the visitors a slender half-time lead with a successful penalty five minutes before the interval.

The home side made it 10-10 shortly after the restart but on 51 minutes, Wimborne secured what proved to be the decisive score when debutant winger Jacob Squire finished off a slick move down the left and Mikolajewski added the extras.

A late Corsham penalty kept the match in the balance but their late rally was to no avail.

Wimborne hold a three-point advantage over Swanage & Wareham in the fight for fourth and visit third-placed Sherborne on the last day of the season.

Swans: Wilcox, Parry, Graves, Corsie, Rowberry, Parish, Warren, Wyburgh, Elford, Sheldrake, Collins, Hogg, Wright, Jones, Desmond.

Wimborne: Mills, Unwin, Adams, Day, Christopher, Best, Fossey, Foley, Tarbard, Samways, Brown, King, Hamer, Lawrence, Mikolajewski, Walton, Wright, Squire.