Wimbledon 11 Dover 5

What a good win this was for Wimbledon. Dover aren’t second in London League One South for nothing and this fiercely competitive and entertaining game could have gone either way.

But in the end Wimbledon did enough to deserve revenge for their 20-42 defeat back in October.

Despite struggling in the set scrum against Dover’s powerful pack, they won more than their fare share of possession, thanks partly to the new lineout moves producing such good ball through Julian Callanan and Mal English – and partly to the speed of the pack to the breakdown, led by the two jumpers and flanker Paul Shearer, and very closely followed by the front five.

But the win was secured by Wimbledon’s excellent defence, epitomised by centre Chris Lewis’s crunching hit on Dover’s scrum-half that not only relieved a period of intense Dover pressure but also brought about the final whistle (and an audible sigh of relief from the Wimbledon supporters.) Wimbledon couldn’t have got off to a much better start, when the pack drove the ball deep into Dover’s 22, their full-back fumbled the pass back and scrum-half Alex Pyes pounced on the ball for a try.

For the next 20 minutes territory and possession were pretty even but, then, Dover went up a gear and forced a series of 5m penalties, from the last of which Dover’s Ben Murray took a quick tap and nipped over the try line.

Down to 14 men after prop Dave Howell was yellow-carded, Dons then endured a torrid 10 minutes in their own 22 before a typical jinxing run by number 10 Dave Rees took the game deep into Dover’s half, where a penalty was won by the pack and coolly converted by wing Jonny Rawlinson.

In the second half, Dons carried on where they had left off and, although fine defence from Dover just kept out Wimbledon’s backs, they were eventually forced into conceding a penalty, again converted by Rawlinson.

For the next 30 minutes Dons – well marshalled by playmaker Rees – played most of the rugby, several dangerous looking Dover breakouts not withstanding.

But, then, the visitors again demonstrated why they are league title contenders by pinning Wimbledon in their own 22 for an agonising final 10 minutes.

They actually succeeded in crossing the try line, only to be called back for a forward pass.

Dons added to their agony by losing their own put-in at the resulting scrum – but then came Lewis’s tackle and the final, relieving whistle.

This week, Wimbledon face an even tougher task, away to league leaders Gravesend.

But if they can reproduce last Saturday’s spirit and style of play, it’ll be another close game.