Swans escape the drop by one point (From Bournemouth Echo)

Swans escape the drop by one point

7:00am Wednesday 25th April 2012 in Rugby

SWANAGE & Wareham narrowly avoided relegation to Southern Counties South after a final-day defeat to Reading.

Swans were beaten 27-5 at Bestwall, but drop zone rivals Reading Abbey lost their final game against Maidenhead to crash through the South West One East trap door.

The final reckoning saw Swans avoid the dreaded drop by just one point.

Alex Doraic’s try, converted by Rob Sweeney, got Reading off to a great start, before Sweeney’s drop goal made it 10-0 at the break.

Doraic then crashed over for his second try just after the restart and Sweeney added the conversion as Reading’s two-man show made the score 17-0.

Audie Jones reduced the deficit after diving over from a brutal Swans catch and drive move, but Reading added a penalty and Mike Gubb scored under the posts and Sweeney converted to complete a miserable afternoon for the home side.

Swans: Dunsford, Roberts, Prior, Wilcox, Chadwick, Parish, Tomes, Sheldrake, R Elford, Andrews (Audley, 50), Burgess, Penney (Collins, 64), Desmond, Jones, Wright. Unused sub: Lane.