South West one

Okehampton 17

OKEHAMPTON made their longest trip of the season to face highly fancied Newent in the first league encounter between the two sides.

They started brightly against the second placed team as they had the early pressure and forced the Gloucestershire side to go offside but from the kick to the corner, the lineout was adjudged not straight and the danger was cleared.

Following this came a period of parity as both evenly matched sides were sounding each other out. The first chance of points went to the home side as the Okes went offside at the breakdown but the chance was pulled wide of the left upright. Barring that opportunity the first 15 minutes were mainly played out in the middle third with both sides enjoying their share of territory and possession.

Dean Abrams and Simon Cox for the Okes were all over the park making themselves a real nuisance and eventually forcing a penalty which was kicked to touch. The lineout was won and as play drifted towards centre field the hosts were deemed to have illegally killed the ball, giving centre Kev Dennis a shot at the posts – which was slotted to put the Okes 0-3 to the good.

The game continued to be tight, but the home side were cranking up the pressure and took a lead they would never relinquish in the 27th minute.

The Okes were caught offside right in front of the posts and as they awaited the expected kick for goal, the home scrum half took a quick tap and although he was stopped short, support was soon there to shove him over and ground the ball. The conversion was good and the Green Army had the lead and their tails were up.

These were worrying times for the Okes as Newent threw everything at them. They held out until a minute before the break, when the incessant pressure became too much and they were caught short down the blindside for a try out wide, with George Baker sustaining a game finishing ankle injury in the process.

The final action of the half was an excellent touchline conversion that went over off a post.

Halftime came at just the right time for the Okes as they were able to regroup and make changes. Captain Tom McGrattan went to the wing for the injured Baker and Gareth Evans introduced himself to the fray.

As the second half started though, Evans was yellow card as he was penalised for a no arms tackle. From the resulting penalty the home side increased their lead through a routine catch and drive try that went unconverted.

At this stage the Okes were staring down the barrel. This team is made of stern stuff though and despite being a man down, they finally started to exert some authority on proceedings. With half an hour remaining, following an initial attack wasted by the Okes, Richie Friend made an incisive break before offloading to George Trerise on his shoulder, who had the strength to bulldoze over next to the posts. Kev Dennis slotted the extras with ease.

The visitors now were in dominant mood and eventually reduced the arrears further with 18 minutes remaining. A series of penalties were conceded by the home side, with each one being taken as a scrum. The referee’s patience eventually broke and as the Okes marched another scrum forward; Newent splintered and the referee had no option but to run under the posts for a penalty try, with the kick a formality. Now at 19-17 it was game on and the visitors were in control. Disaster would strike the Okes, however, on their second successive away trip as a promising attack by them was intercepted and the home number eight galloped home from his own half to score under the posts. The simple conversion making it 26-17 with only eight minutes remaining.

Newent made steady ground from the restart and punctured holes as the Okes rush defence, eager to turn over ball, left gaps.

In the 76th minute the victory was ensured for the hosts as the home number 13 span over the line for an unconverted score.

In the remaining minutes, Okehampton pummeled their hosts defence with a series of desperate forward thrusts in search of salvaging at least a losing bonus point that their performance merited but it was not to be.

The long trip would go unrewarded for the gutsy Okes who showed plenty of spirit and no little skill, but would ultimately come up short against a very strong and organised Newent outfit.