MELKSHAM got the better of Pewsey Vale 20-12 in their mid-table battle in Dorset & Wilts One North on Saturday.

With Melksham still awaiting the move to their new Woolmore Farm home, the match was switched to Vale, who themselves were missing a total of 12 first-team players and head coach Mick Haynes who were either injured or away at a wedding.

In a lively battle, Melksham gradually dominated the scrum, while Vale were disruptive at the lineout.

The visitors were quickly up to pressure the home side's try line, with the ball whipped out quickly for winger Jonny Mills to touch down out wide.

Pewsey piled on the pressure, but the Melksham defence held firm and their attacks were repelled.

Another sortie from the visitors flared with fly-half Callum Hurn breaking the gain line, allowing good passing between the backs to tee up Adam Davies to step the defence and score his first try.

Ten points clear at half-time, the attritional game forced the visitors use their replacements early on in the second period, but Melksham continued to overhaul the hosts, Davies striking out wide for his second of the day.

The game looked to be secure when Ben Brown scored down his wing to make it 20-0, but Pewsey refused to lie down and rallied in the final quarter.

Relentless pressure brought two quick tries through lock Karl Crosbie and centre Jamie Fox, Crosbie adding a conversion.

Corsham remained top of the pile in the division as they thumped Chippenham 2nd 55-3.

The home side scored nine tries, Kalif Barnes returning to haunt his former team after joining Corsham this season, scoring four times.

Warminster remain in hot pursuit of the pacesetters after running up their own half-century of points in a 51-5 home romp against Swindon 2nd.

A brace of tries from James Pinnell in the opening quarter paved the way for success for the amber and blues and Pinnell had completed a hat-trick before the half-hour mark.

Daniel Harris brought up the bonus point before the interval, converted by Rusiate Waka and Pinnell's personal torture of the visitors continued as he added three more scores, one of which was converted by Rupeni Rokoduguni.

Waka himself added a further try before the end of the match, again converted by Rokoduguni, before Lai Vinakadina added another late try.

Bradford on Avon are also in the thick of the hunt in third spot after humbling South Marston visitors Supermarine 51-12.

The Ashley Lane side are in the midst of something of an injury and unavailability crisis, including losing skipper Oli Stacey to a broken arm, but it made little difference at the weekend as they ran in nine tries under the captaincy of hooker Josh Bates.

Jonny Bates, operating at centre instead of his usual flanker's role, ran in two tries, while Alex Baker - stepping up from the second strong to play fly-half - also crossed.

Prop Owen Martin, full-back Tom Bartlett, number eight Harry Linge and substitute Fin Dewar also scored, while flanker Andrew Twinney added a brace.

Dewar booted two conversions and Gareth Wheeler one.

Head coach Dave George said: "The pack dominated again and although our kick-off receipts were awful and there was a bit of indecision in defence, which gave them (Marine) two tries, were regrouped and started playing the processes and structures.

"We're scraping the barrel a bit for a team at the moment and it's going to be interesting this weekend (at Swindon 2nd) as it's Jonny Bates' wedding on Saturday.''