Western Counties West

Okehampton 29

Tavistock 7

AFTER two successive defeats to Cornish sides, Okehampton knew nothing less than a victory would do in this moorland derby to get their season kick started. They started bright enough as fly half, Poynton, converted a penalty after Tavistock were penalised for coming in at the side in the first minute. For a spell unforced errors by both sides meant any chance of concerted pressure fell apart.

The game changed midway through the half when Richard Friend broke down the blind side and fed Luke Honeychurch on the half way line, he burst through into Tavistock's 22 and shrugged off two challenges before dotting down wide out. Poynton failed with a difficult conversion attempt. Moments later, Okehampton increased their lead when following a scrum midway into Tavistock's half No 8, Tom McGrattan, picked up at the base and fed scrum half Richard Friend to swipe through and score near the posts. Poynton converted to give the hosts a 15-0 lead.

The game then became end to end but both sides shunned try scoring opportunities when netiher took advantage of sizeable overlaps.

The Okes were reduced to 14 men in the 28th minute when Buzz Brimacombe was binned for illegally disrupting the Tavistock attack and this then gave the visitors the opportunity to apply pressure on the home defence. Although some of Okehampton's tackling in midfield was poor, their defence was immaculate to keep Tavistock at bay through keeping the scoreline at 15-0 until the final minute of the half.

After a period of pressure from Tavistock deep inside Okes' 22 they were awarded the scrum but the hosts won it against the head and the immaculate Richard Friend struck an up and under box kick which the chasing Kev Dennis managed to reclaim and start on a 70 metre run outstripping a forlorn tackle by his opposing winger to cross for the Okes' third try. Poynton converted to leave the half time score at 22-0.

In the second half the game deteriorated into a disjointed affair with the hosts lack of ability to retain the ball in contact and the visitors handling errors meaning there was no real pattern to play. Tavistock showed great character reduced the deficit in the 50th minute when they scored after driving around the fringes close in. This was duly converted.

The game seemed to meander along with the Okes failing to add points to the total until the final minute when during a Tavistock attack inside the Okes' five metre line, fullback Gary Sizmur stripped the ball in a tackle and darted through a gap before running the length of the pitch to score under the posts despite tremendous effort from Tavistock's tighthead prop. This try gave Okes the bonus point they craved and was duly converted by Poynton.

This week sees Okehampton travel to Tiverton while Tavistock are at home to Penryn.