Tribute Devon two

Dartmouth 13

North Tawton 16

THIS third win out of three league matches takes North Tawton to the top of the league.

North Tawton started well and within the first ten minutes had forced Dartmouth back into their 22 metre area and gained a penalty chance. Scrum half David Fewings took the three points, kicking into a strengthening wind. Dartmouth responded well and good driving play by their forwards took them into the Tawton 22 metre area. Tawton defended well and showed good composure under pressure. Dartmouth attempted to make use of the wind and put up some speculative kicks, but the Tawton defence were equal to the challenge first when centre Simon Quick fielded a swirling ball and returned the kick with interest.

Full back Mike Symons collected another Dartmouth bomb and followed up his own clearance kick. He was up fast to charge down Dartmouth's own defensive kick and almost forced a try for the visitors.

Tawton consolidated their position close to the Dartmouth line and the pressure brought mistakes by the defence giving Tawton a penalty close to the line. Fewings took a quick tap and dummied his way through for a well taken try. This was converted by North to take Tawton 10-nil clear. Once again Dartmouth countered and despite some good defending, notably a crunching tackle by Tawton's full back Symons, they were awarded a penalty on the Tawton 22 metre line. This was converted by their own full back to take the score to 10-3 to the visitors, which triggered a good final spell by the Tawton forwards.

A line out take by flanker Rob McBain set up a driving maul which had the Dartmouth pack retreating into their 22 metre area. Ferocious tackling around the side of the scrums by McBain and his colleagues in the Tawton pack, Mike Young and Clint Brown, snuffed out any attempts at a break out by Dartmouth and the half time whistle went with the score unchanged.

Early in the second half Tawton made two tactical substitutions as the two sides slogged it out in the middle third of the pitch. Tawton brought on Lawrence McKone for Mike Symons, nursing an injured leg and Joe Madden to the second row for James Henshaw.

The teams were evenly matched and the deteriorating conditions defied either side to establish any dominance. It was Dartmouth who made the breakthrough but they were denied at first by a robust tackle from Alfie May. North Tawton were not to escape however and a further tapped penalty close to their line resulted in a drive over the line and a Dartmouth try was awarded. The conversion made the scores level at 10-10.

An exchange of penalty place kicks took North Tawton back briefly into the lead through Fewings and then Dartmouth equalised again with their own kick in front of Tawton's posts. This penalty also cost a Tawton player ten minutes in the sin bin; this goaded the Tawton squad into a frenzied final few minutes. Finally a second penalty chance was awarded to the visitors and Fewings slotted the vital three points.