SWANAGE and Wareham maintained their stranglehold over fierce rivals Bournemouth with a stunning 15-13 victory on Lions' home turf.

The Bestwall boys' uncertain start to the campaign was blown away as they ground down their hosts with a typically power-packed forward display.

Swans were awarded a penalty try early in the second half and Rob Elford was driven over from a line-out as the visitors pressure up front eventually told.

Swans skipper Phil Graves said: "We probably needed a game like this to start our season off and everyone was up for it.

"They'd had a good start but we knew they were beatable.

"Our line-out and driving mauls were very good, and we seemed to have the best of things up front on the day."

After a rumbustious opening quarter of an hour, Simon McFarlane landed the first blow for Lions with a penalty after Swans were marched back 10m for protesting.

The lead lasted just four minutes, Phil Graves slotting over from in front of the posts.

But with a considerable wind behind him, McFarlane put the hosts' noses back in front with a giant effort from close to halfway.

Although Bournemouth battered away at the Swans door, stout defence held up their charge, though McFarlane kicked his third penalty to push Lions' advantage to 9-3 at the turnaround.

However, things started to go wrong for the hosts at the start of the second half.

They fumbled the restart and found themselves all at sea, and were soon pinned back in their own half.

From a catch and drive, Swans' forwards pounded the Bournemouth line and referee James Gregory was eventually forced to award a penalty try.

Graves' conversion handed the visitors the lead for the first time but straight from the kick-off, Swans were penalised and McFarlane restored the advantage with his fourth penalty.

Lions skipper Dan Cawley was yellow-carded for bringing down a maul and Swans capitalised as Elford grabbed the Bestwall side's second try from another catch and drive move.

Graves missed the conversion but his boot kept Bournemouth at arm's length as they attempted to pour on the pressure late on.

Bournemouth chairman Doug Warren was frustrated by the stop-start nature of the game.

He said: "The players on both sides were very frustrated as was evidenced by their reaction after being penalised yet again.

"Everyone has to come to terms with the requirements of the laws otherwise nobody is going to be keen to watch such a stop-start affair."


  • LINE-UPS
    Bournemouth: Payne, Flynn, Bruce, Puzas, Dunkerley, McFarlane, Barter, Currie, Cawley, Manning, Leyland, Seward, Morris, Flower, Kenny. Unused subs: Awdas, Chislett, Dubach.

Swans: Leak, Price-Smith, Graves, Cottrell (Marshall, 48), Blackmore, Harris, Graves, Peters, Elford, Andrews (Sheldrake, 55), Burgess, Penney, Warren, Suckling, Hayman. Unused sub: Harwood.