Drybrook travelled to Witney for the first time in many years for a first team fixture, and proved to be too good for the home team on the day, writes Chris Tingle.

The Oxfordshire club’s impressive facilities were the setting for a match that never really hit the heights of the previous week’s performance at Chippenham.However, they still brought home a good bonus point victory to keep the pressure on Regional Two Severn leaders Chippenham.

Most pleasing will be the fact that the defence was again rock solid and Witney were denied any score all afternoon.It took Drybrook just three minutes to score the first try. A driven maul from a line-out saw Dean Jelf add to his try tally for the season. Haydn Roberts made the score seven points to nil with a well struck kick from the left hand touch line, which bounced on the crossbar before going over.T

he next ten minutes were rather scrappy until a misdirected kick was fielded by Drybrook.After receiving an inside pass from Mikey Addis it was powerful lock Jack Moss who crossed the Witney line. Roberts slotted the easy conversion and the score stayed at fourteen points to nil until the break.The second half began and followed the same pattern, Drybrook showing all the intent and repelling anything the home team had to offer.

With eight minutes of the second period, played a nasty shoulder injury to centre George Phillips meant that Danny Price came into the centre and Finn Watkins slotted into the second row.Watkins brought with him fresh impetus and at last the game started to come to life.First Ryan Chappell scored after the ball was switched to the right following a catch and drive from the lineout. Roberts was successful with the conversion to take the Drybrook score to twenty one.Captain Mitch Bourne then drove over the line to secure a try bonus point and take Drybrook to twenty six points.

Following a quick tap penalty, Finn Watkins found himself in the open with the line at his mercy.However, he decided he would rather step back inside and knock a few more defenders over than take the easy five points.Witney lost a man to the bin following a succession of penalties and Luke Roberts carried a defender over the whitewash to take the visitors to thirty one.With the game drawing to a close, Haydn Roberts found space on the right to dive in at the corner and score his team’s final try and take the score to thirty six points to nil in Drybrook’s favour.It was not the prettiest of games, but to travel away and score thirty six points, and keep the home team scoreless, was still a very good return on the day.

Drybrook will be back at the Mannings on Saturday (February 1) for the Gloucestershire derby against Longlevens.The first match between these two was a close fought affair in Gloucester that ended with honours even. Hopefully we should be in for a great game and the Drybrook boys can take a lot of confidence out of the way they have performed on the road.Drybrook remain second in Regional Two Severn, eight points behind Chippenham having played two games fewer.