ANOTHER committed effort on the road was not enough to save Minehead Barbarians from a 40-0 defeat away to third-placed Weston Hornets in the Somerset Premier League.

The home side got off to the perfect start when they latched onto a probing kick and scored on their left flank.

But despite this early setback Minehead more than contested the midfield and although Hornets scored a second try, it wasn’t until just before half-time that they managed their third to open up a 19-0 lead.

On a heavy pitch, both sides had to work hard and for long periods Minehead gave a good as they got with Dom Westcott making some strong carries in the centre, but poor touch kicking led to them conceding a further three converted tries after the break.

The pack held up well throughout and competed strongly at the lineout, but too often, having done the hard work in defence, the ball was kicked into the hands of the strong running Hornets side, denying the forwards the opportunity to gain further ground.

Dom Westcott sealed the player of the day award with a magnificent try-saving tackle to take out the Hornets right winger a yard from the line when he looked certain to score.

Overall Minehead put on a committed display but could not match the direct running of the home side.

Minehead Barbarians: K Lewis, C James, D Westcott, L Gould, A Twine, C Sutherland, J Parker, D Swann, C Howells, K Roberts, L Parker, B Willes, T Lamacraft, R Henson, G Richards, C Payne, G Cook, M Lynch.