LEWIS Dennett totalled 15 points as Bournemouth defeated Old Centralians 20-11 and returned to winning ways in National Three South West on Saturday.

Alongside two conversions, a penalty and a drop goal, fly-half Dennett scored the late try that settled Bournemouth nerves at Chapel Gate following a valiant fightback by the visitors.

Dennett became the first Lions player to score by all four means available in a league match as a result of his efforts.

Bournemouth, who handed a debut to forward Dean Smith, moved up to ninth in the table following their first win in more than a month.

An early Centralians offside handed the hosts a penalty which Dennett converted, before the same man increased the lead with a drop goal.

Lions then built on their advantage with the first try of the game midway through the first period. Starting off on their 10m line, the hosts drove forward and released the ball right. Dennett’s chip was gathered by Scott Chislett and he released wing Wyn Roberts, who went under the posts unopposed. Dennett added the extras.

Grant Hancox was sin-binned just before the half-hour mark and Centralians soon made the most of their one-man advantage. From a five-metre scrum, the visitors worked the ball right and eventually went over in the corner, before the conversion was pulled across the face.

Dennett missed the chance to put three more points on the board when Centralians were penalised for crossing, the number 10 pulling his effort to the left.

Despite a couple of further forays, Crispin Cormack’s men could not break through again and they went into half-time 13-5 ahead.

In a disjointed second period due to a number of injury stoppages, the visitors were first to strike when a penalty sailed over after Lions were penalised for diving in.

The match was on a knife edge in the final 10 minutes after Chislett was yellow-carded for his illegal attempts to slow play down and a subsequent successful penalty drew Centralians back to within two points.

However, Lions shut down the game in the closing stages. Roberts challenged for a high ball and it bounced free for Dennett to gather at pace, and the fly-half ran clear to score on the left.

A cool conversion from the try scorer took the advantage to nine points and the final whistle sounded shortly after.

Lions: Hancox, Sutherland, Connolly, Chislett, Roberts, Dennett, Hardcastle, Wiseman, Richardson, Manning, Antoniades, Scott, Smith, Dunkerley, Hennings. Replacements: Gwyther, Hales. Unused replacement: Bellamy.