Dorset & Wilts 15, Oxfordshire 34: Oxfordshire's glory run towards Twickenham continued with a deserved, hard fought win against Dorset & Wilts at Swanage on Saturday.

Paul Hennessy

The victory put Oxon top of Pool 3 in the County Shield and means they are just one win away from making a dream appearance at rugby union's headquarters.

The one obstacle in their path are Pool 4 winners Hampshire, whom Oxon will face at Basingstoke in a Shield semi-final this Saturday (3pm).

The winners of that game will meet either Northumberland or North Midlands at Twickenham on Saturday, May 24.

For 60 minutes, Dorset & Wilts and Oxfordshire were closely locked together.

Then came the defining moment, with Oxon coach John Brodley making a triple substitution, one of whom was Chinnor wing forward Dave Seymour, who scored two tries.

Showers before the start left the Swanage pitch with a wet, slippery surface.

Oxon, driven forward by skipper Paul Hennessy, opened the scoring in the fifth minute with an Andy Noyce penalty.

Stalemate then ensued until the second quarter when England Under 21 and Gloucester full back Jon Goodridge scored an unconverted try.

The home side responded with a penalty before prop Simon Matthews rumbled over for a try, converted by Noyce, to make a half-time score 15-3.

The opening period of the second half was fiercely contested with first blood going to the twin counties with an unconverted try.

Then with 20 minutes left came those inspired substitutions, Ger Philips, Jamie Cope and James Wilcox-Jones being replaced by Anthony Cope at scrum half and the Chinnor back row pairing of Seymour and Tom Johnson.

It was Seymour who turned the game with two quick tries. The first came after scrum half Cope split the whole of the Dorset defence, the second after some brilliant running by the backs. Noyce converted one of them.

Dorset pulled the scores back with a converted try before Goodridge raced 30 metres for the last try, converted by Noyce.

Oxfordshire (v Dorset & Wilts, away): J Goodridge (Gloucester), M Nutt (Oxford Harlequins), J David (Chinnor), M Goode (Banbury), A Noyce (Banbury), D Oxley (Chinnor), G Phillips (Chinnor), S Matthews (Chinnor), T Nicholas (Henley), R Harris (Chinnor), A Milburn (Chinnor), M McNally (Banbury), J Cope (Oxford Harlequins), J Wilcox-Jones (L Welsh), P Hennessey (Chinnor) capt. Reps: T Johnson (Chinnor) for Wilcox-Jones (60), A Cope (Oxford Harlequins) for Phillips (60), D Seymour (Chinnor) for J Cope (60).