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Dartmouth 8

North Tawton 10

THE home side had the best of the early play and although both scrums were taking time to settle it was Dartmouth who drew the first points with a converted penalty.

They kept up the pressure and after winning the ball at a North Tawton lineout on the five metre line their winger was on the end of the passing move to touch down to make it 8-0. The conversion was missed.

An attack initiated by Tawton's David Fewings and involving several players broke down with the try line in their sights.

Dartmouth responded with a break out by their fly half which took his side back into the Tawton 22 metre area as the half came to its close.

North Tawton had picked up several niggling injuries, one finally causing the substitution of second row Joah Madden by James Henshaw.

North Tawton made a better start to the second period with a break from a lineout by Fewings supported well by his forwards taking play to the Dartmouth 10 metre line.

From a scrum number eight Steve King fed Fewings who passed to flanker Mike Young to collect the ball and barrel his way over for a try. The conversion by fly half Rob North took the score to 8-7 to the home side.

Shortly afterwards North had a chance to put his side into the lead with a penalty kick which just drifted wide.

Having been outplayed in the first half North Tawton were getting back into the match and a drive by Henshaw from the Dartmouth 22 metre line gave Tawton a tap penalty, but Dartmouth held firm and cleared the ball. North Tawton's full back Bill Sharp was replaced by Steve Paxton, making his first appearance for the club.

Further Dartmouth attacks were repelled and Tawton responded with good breaks from Keith Jones and Alfie May to take the visitors back into the attack.

In the closing minutes winger Tawton Dan Dennis snapped up a loose ball and made good ground. As the maul formed Tawton's Steve King once again got hold of the ball drove through the loose play. Dartmouth were penalised and the kick from the 22 metre line was well stuck by Fewings to snatch a somewhat unexpected win for North Tawton.

They had played with a lot of spirit to weather the early pressure from a confident Dartmouth side and deserved the final result.

With Topsham losing to Old Techs, this North Tawton win moves them one point clear at the top of the Devon One rankings.