DINGS returned to winning ways with a try bonus-point victory over Barnstaple at Shaftesbury Park. The home side had all the early pressure but stubborn defence from the visitors kept them at bay until the 17th minute when skipper Jake Holcombe muscled over from a driving maul. Fly-half Tom Price converted.

Barum hit back with a penalty from centre Jake Murphy then a converted try from Winston James gave the visitors the lead for the only time in the match on 34 minutes. Price levelled the scores with a penalty, but was unable to add the extras after flanker Tom Anderson went over for his ninth try of the season. Holcombe crashed over soon after for a converted try to make it 22-10 at the interval.

Price nipped in to intercept a wayward pass early in the second-half then duly added the conversion to his own try. Barnstaple full-back Will Topps crossed for a converted try to cut the gap, but Dings continued to press. Full-back Harry Tovey marked his 100th appearance for Dings with a try before hooker Tommy Gollop added another try from another powerful driving line-out. But the biggest cheer of the day came when 51-year-old former Scotland prop and Heineken Cup winner Dave Hilton was introduced to the fray from the replacements bench. Dings were awarded a penalty try on 68 minutes after scrum-half Tom Knight was impeded when diving on his own chip-and-chase in the dead ball area, but the visitors had the final say with replacement Mitch Turner crossing for a converted try in the 76th minute.

Dings tries: Holcombe 17, 40. Anderson 39. Price 41, Tovey 54, Gollop 61, 68 penalty try. Penalty Price 36. Conversions: Price 18, 40, 42. Plummer 55.

Barnstaple tries: James 33, Topps 44, Turner 76. Penalty: Murphy 29, Conversions: Murphy 34, 50, 77.

Dings Crusaders: 15 Harry Tovey; 14 Tom Hargan, 13 Matty Smith, 12 Luke Arscott, 11 Tommy Foot, 10 Tom Price, 9 Tom Knight; 1 Charlie Taylor, 2 Tommy Gollop, 3 Nick English, 4 Olly Bilton, 5 Danny Hodge, 6 Alex Bilton, 7 Tom Anderson, 8 Jake Holcombe (capt).
Replacements: 16 Josh Wood, 17 Dave Hilton, 18 Anton Welling, 19 Steve Plummer, 20 Ian Clark.