WILL Woodward scored a hat-trick as Reading Abbey returned to winning ways in South West One East with a thoroughly deserved 26-15 bonus-point victory at struggling Chippenham.

The visitors started well and opened their try account on eight minutes. Jules Greenaway made the initial breakthrough, prop Ed Whelan and outside half Luke Burns supported well, and Woodward (pictured) applied the finishing touch, thundering in under the posts to give Ollie Walton an easy conversion.

Abbey extended their lead shortly after when they elected to take a scrum from a penalty under the posts.

To their credit Chippenham actually managed to force Abbey backwards, but the visitors still won the ball and Woodward galloped away to the left corner where he crossed for his second try. Walton could not add the extras, but Abbey now had a 12-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Chippenham rallied and Abbey had to defend against some sustained pressure, but it was Fungai Mutepfa’s men who went further ahead after Woodward picked up from the base of a scrum and handed on to Greenaway, who burst clear up the left wing.

He was tackled 10 metres short of the line, but Will Bevan was up in support to finish off an excellent move. Walton converted to put Abbey 19-0 ahead.

Yet the home side fought back bravely before the break, and after a converted Sam Graham try and a missed long-range penalty from Walton, a successful three-pointer by Sam Saunders made it 19-10 at the interval.

Abbey rebounded well at the start of the second period, and claimed the ball against the head in a scrum on the edge of the home 22 which would result in the bonus-point try.

Sam Hallett, Treacle Knights and Chris Shaw all made ground with the ball, and Luke Burns then gave the scoring pass for Woodward’s hat-trick try. Walton’s conversion against the wind just crept over the bar to make the score 26-10.

Abbey continued to dominate and Graham was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle on Burns, but Abbey were unable to take advantage of his absence.

Play from both sides became increasingly ragged as full time approached, but with a minute of normal time remaining Ben Doggett was driven over for a consolation try after good work from the home pack.

Saunders could not convert and Abbey suffered no more alarms during the remainder of the game.

Reading Abbey will hope to record back-to-back wins when Grove visit Rosehill next Saturday (2.15pm).