FRONT rower Lee Fairclough’s hat-trick secured victory for Trowbridge at Doric Park against their familiar foes from last season.

The home side had met their rivals during last season’s glorious RFU Intermediate Cup campaign but Bletchley arrived without a league win to their name this season.

Trowbridge were drawn into a forward battle and it wasn’t until they released their backs and the large Bletchley pack ran out of steam in the second half that the home side were able to draw away.

They finished the match with three tries in the final 10 minutes.

Phil Harman missed a penalty for the visitors before Trowbridge mounted their first significant attack, moving the ball left through Shai Bonnick and James Mcfarlane to Ashley Chalk who outpaced the defence to go over for a try which Lloyd Davis converted.

Bletchley’s forwards continued to trouble the Trowbridge defence and they scored two quick tries from centre Matt Nobes and Phil Harman, both converted by Harman.

Trowbridge were unable to break the defence again until the 32nd minute when wing James McFarlane came up on the inside of Davis and went through unchallenged to score near the posts.

Davis again converted to level but Harman regained the lead for the visitors with a penalty.

Trowbridge came out in the second half much improved, replacement scrum-half George Leat introducing a much quicker pace from the base of the scrum.

An attack involving McFarlane and Chalk resulted in a score for replacement Dan Smith, converted by Davis.

Trowbridge were dominant as the visitors’ forwards tired, the star being loosehead prop Fairclough who scored three tries in a 20 minute period.

This put Trowbridge 42-17 ahead and two late tries from Smith after contributions from Dave Martin and Matt Howard and Adam Sullivan from the base of a five-metre scrum completed an impressive second-half display.