Weston-super-Mare 44 Chippenham 7

Weston-super-Mare eased themselves to victory with this stylish performance which resulted in a 7-1 try count against Chippenham.

The match was a personal triumph for Paul Sprague who, on his 100th appearance, scored his 50th and 51st tries.

After Mark Armstrong's third-minute penalty, Sprague scored his first following excellent work by Joe Ewens and T J Madamombe.

It was then the turn of Kevin Hobbs, celebrating his blazer badge match. A superb break by Matthew McQuaid gave Hobbs the run-in for Armstrong to convert and by the interval, Weston were 20 points ahead after David Taylor had touched down at the right corner.

Taylor, a late replacement at full-back for indisposed Goran Vucicevic, scored his second try five minutes after the break.

Armstrong converted again, and Sprague's clean break through the centre gave Madamombe a try for a 32-0 lead.

But the following 25 minutes was a dull affair, punctuated only by the light relief of a 20-metre charge by Hallam Smith.

With Chippenham having little to offer except the use of their heavier pack, they were eventually rewarded with a series of penalties resulting in a short-range try by Matt Bye, converted by Scot Simmons.

But Weston deservedly had the final words. In the 80th minute they ran a short penalty from in front of their own posts and after the centres, Ashley Russell and George Sparks had handled, skipper David Burge sprinted along the left touchline and deliver a perfect inside pass to Sprague who rounded off his special day with a typical 50-metre dash to the line.

And in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Ewens completed an excellent personal performance with Weston's seventh try which Armstrong majorised.

This was the most attractive showing by the Seasiders this season.

They used the Recreation Ground's fast surface to good effect against heavier opposition whose driving play was countered with good defending, especially by David Cook, Hobbs and Burge.

With Colts' scrum-half Ross Bennett making a more than effective first start, the quick hands of the backs was of a high standard and this victory took them to fourth place in South West 1.

With two matches remaining, at home to Basingstoke on March 31 and at Reading Abbey on April 14, they should maintain this position.

Weston-super-Mare: D Taylor; M McQuaid, T J Madamombe, J Ewens, P Sprague; M Armstrong, R Bennett (L Hember 55); H Smith, D Burge, N Lavender (E Hunt 72, B Noble (A Richards 72), A Russell, D Cook, K Hobbs, G Sparks.

Weston-super-Mare scorers - tries Paul Sprague (2), Kevin Hobbs, David Taylor (2), T J Madamombe, Joe Ewens; cons: Mark Armstrong (3); pen: Mark Armstrong.

Chippenham scorers - try: Matt Bye; con: Scott Simmons.