TRIES from Doug Robertson and Rob Best helped Wimborne register a dramatic 20-19 victory over Southern Counties South rivals Salisbury at Leigh Park on Saturday.

Wimborne had a Ben Hunt try correctly chalked off after he had lost control of the ball in the act of touching down but there was no reprieve for Salisbury when Robertson went over.

He burst through the centre to score following a lengthy spell of pressure, his 35th-minute try converted by James Mikolajewski.

From the kick-off, skipper Steve King caught the ball and embarked on an electrifying 50-metre run into the heart of the Salisbury defence before off-loading to Best.

And the second rower made further ground before being tackled just short of the line but was on hand to touch down as the ball was quickly recycled through a couple of phases. Mikolajewski again added the extras to give Wimborne a 14-point half-time lead.

Salisbury reduced the arrears with an unconverted try 10 minutes into the second half before Mikolajewski extended Wimborne’s lead with a long-range penalty.

But Salisbury hit back immediately with a try, which was converted as the visitors narrowed the gap to five points.

Veteran scrum-half Jason Llewellyn was yellow carded and, although Wimborne defended stoutly, Salisbury were rewarded for their endeavours when they levelled with a try, the conversion giving them the lead for the first time in the match as the contest entered stoppage time.

There was still time for another twist and, after the 14 men of Wimborne had stormed on to the attack, Salisbury conceded a penalty.

There was a deathly hush as Mikolajewski stepped up to take the kick but the full-back was calmness personified as he sent it straight and true between the uprights to secure a thrilling victory for the Minstermen.

Wimborne squad: Unwin, Hunt, Adams, Wale, Best, Walton, Hopkins, King, Llewellyn, Van Wyk, McIntosh, Robertson, Bartlett, Young, Mikolajewski, Nadin, Ratnam.