Western Counties West

Okehampton 30

St Austell 0

AFTER last week’s enforced layoff, Oke returned with a comprehensive win against their Cornish visitors.

The Saints are a team in transition — both sides’ fortunes are in reverse from their last Western Counties encounter when the Cornishmen were pushing for promotion. This time it is the Okes who sit on the cusp of the promotion slots after their current fine run of league victories.

Oke looked to have scored in the first minute as they attacked down the slope, but winger Luke Honeychurch was called back after the last pass was adjudged to be forward. St Austell were undaunted by this let off and with a solid set scrum, they created an early penalty chance for out half Boyer. Unfortunately for the visitors he missed, and that was as close as they were to come to scoring all afternoon as Oke began to dominate proceedings.

The Saints lost a second rower to the sin bin after 14 minutes as Oke’s pack turned up the power. The first home score was soon to follow as a rolling maul provided a strong attacking platform.

Second rower Sam Turner hit a nice line to crack the defensive cover and a couple of phases later, good hands put number eight Tom McGratton over in the bottom right corner. Ten minutes later a carbon copy try followed to extend the home side’s advantage.

This time it was Oke’s other second rower Paul Lawrence who made the initial burst. A recycled ball was moved right and on this occasion, it was skipper Tom Powell who was the beneficiary of swift hands to dive over in the same corner. The centre also landed the extras to strengthen Oke’s grip at 12-0 after 21 minutes.

Oke were now piling on the pressure in the Saints’ half and as the visitors tried to relieve it with a loose clearing kick, the home side pounced again. Full back Gareth Espin collected the ball in the mud and immediately counter attacked.

He struck straight through the heart of the visitors’ broken field defence and streaked in for the home side’s third try after only 26 minutes. The extras were missed, but already it was looking bleak for the Cornishmen who were battering away with little in the way of cutting edge.

Oke continued to work hard in the remainder of the half without success as several opportunities went awry. However captain Tom Powell did pot a penalty from in front of the posts with the last kick of the half to make it a twenty point margin at the interval.

The rain had swept in during the first half and the pitch was cutting up as a result. Oke now attacked up the hill and brought on replacements in the shape of player coach Gareth Evans and flanker Dean Abrams as they sought out the required bonus point fourth try.

The early exchanges of the second 40 were scrappy as both sides began to resemble each other in matching brown kits. After 55 minutes Oke eventually managed to reassert themselves as they again camped in the Saints’ 22.

Oke decided to set up a rolling maul after being awarded a close range penalty. Evans took the initial foray and it was driven relentlessly forward by the pack. Fittingly, the move was finished off by young prop Pat Nash who had another outstanding match, when he grounded the bonus point score which once more went unconverted.

The conditions worsened and the game became increasingly scrappy as a result. Oke continued to create chances and failed to finish them off, including another missed penalty goal. To their credit the visitors never let their heads drop and stuck gamely to their task despite the scoreline.

As the gathering gloom threatened to cover the pitch in darkness, Oke scored a great try to light up the last few minutes of the match. Impressive young debutant fly half Dan Fogarty, who replaced his absent elder sibling, struck a peach of a crossfield kick to the left flank. Winger Rory Honeychurch dived to pull off a superb take and somehow managed to pop up an inside pass to centre Matt Johns, who dived over for a super score to seal the match.