Devon and Cornwall League

Tiverton 13

Okehampton 19

THE Okes travelled to mid Devon for a mid table clash which seldom reached any lofty heights for match which for the most part was a strangely subdued affair.

The match kicked off on a decent playing surface and almost immediately a sense of away day déjà vu struck once more.

For the sixth time away from home this season Oke scored within the first five minutes. Not for the first time it was the combination of a snipe from scrum half Richie Friend and a composed finish from winger Rob Fishleigh that did the damage. Fly half Gary Sizmur potted the extras with a little help from the woodwork.

More groundhog day rugby ensued as Oke once more failed to hold this early lead.

Failure to clear their lines when in their own 22 led to a blind side counter that finished with a try midway out on the right for the Tiverton centre. Converted, this try put the teams level at 7-7.

Both sides then struggled to put any pace on the game and play became entrenched between the respective 22.

The Okes looked able to create openings but were lacking a sufficient amount of ball, as far too often players went to ground and got isolated. The home flankers gleefully snaffled ball in this situation and turnovers abounded.

It was no surprise when home fly half Atkins used the surfeit of possession to extend the home side's lead with two penalties, taking the score to 13-7 approaching the changeover.

Oke had missed some penalty chances of their own. Despite this they managed to pull back the deficit before the break as a clever chip ahead from scrum half Friend bounced up nicely for the willing chase of fly half Sizmur to be rewarded with a try right on the interval. The conversion was missed though, and as the teams when in at half-time the lead was a mere one point.

The second half began with play continuing to mainly take place within the confines of the midfield area and there seemed nobody capable of providing a moment of inspiration to gain the victory that both sides looked reluctant to grab.

After missing another kickable penalty, the Okes finally found some attacking impetus. Yet again it came after another break from the lively half back Friend. He shot through a gap up the blind, and as he was ushered towards touch, he found try poacher Rob Fishleigh running a clever support line on his inside. The pass was executed to perfection and the right winger crossed for the match winning score. Centre Luke Honeychurch duly converted.

The Okes saw out the last few minutes reasonably comfortably and another away victory was in the bag despite a less than convincing performance.

Next week Okehampton are at home match against fourth placed Truro, kick-off 2.30pm.