Bourne make Old Boys suffer

From the Echo, first published Wednesday 15th Oct 2003.

Wasn't it Heinz who said good things come to those who wait?

Well Bournemouth finally started to play `ketch-up' as their season got off to a belated kick-start with a blazing victory against Swindon College Old Boys.

Bottom of the pile and having racked up just 22 points from their first three games, Lions went on a scoring spree, running in nine tries and thumping the Wiltshire side 56-7.

An early Jon Sanchez penalty got Bournemouth on the board before Ryan Assal was too quick for the Swindon defence and dived in for the first try.

Centre Sam Hardcastle then intercepted an Old Boys three-quarter move and dashed half the length of the pitch to put Lions 15-0 up after just 11 minutes.

Mark Awdas then joined in the try-fest with his first try in 96 league games, crashing over after he'd turned over possession.

And it was Hardcastle again outpacing the Swindon defence and diving over having been quickest onto a loose ball.

The half ended on a sour note for Lions as captain Darren Clarke was sin-binned for a high tackle on 38 minutes. But Old Boys were unable to take advantage of their extra man and Clarke's troops picked up where they left off in the second period, Ben Harris pouncing on a loose ball for his first try of the season.

Hardcastle then completed a supreme hat-trick by chasing down his kick and touching down.

Swindon soon went over for their only points of the game before Lions reasserted their superiority through a Bruce McDonald score.

And McDonald helped himself to a brace late on, sandwiching a try from Neil Dallyn.

The win is likely to be a huge boost to Lions morale and lifts them off the bottom of the division.

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