South West premier

OKEHAMPTON RFC 13

EXMOUTH RFC 15

WHILE conditions were the best part of perfect the home side were forced into further injury enforced changes while at the same time welcoming back Karl Pearce from a lengthy period on the sidelines.

Playing up the slope for the first period the score board was soon in action when a scrum free kick to Okehampton in midfield saw Richard Bolt tap and go with Joey Bruce supporting to take play to the visitors’ 22 where several phases saw the Exmouth midfield stray offside; Dan Fogerty booted the penalty for an early 3-0 point lead.

From the restart Bolt’s box kick was returned but efforts to return with interest saw the ball squirt loose for the visitors full back to grab possession. Two passes later and the wing man was over in the corner with the conversion being pulled.

The next period saw play ebb and flow but from a Fogerty kick over the visitors’ defence, the Oke’s chasers were deemed offside and with Exmouth fly half Meadows successfully kicked penalty to give the visitors a 3-8 lead.

The Okes responded thanks to a Bevon Armitage turnover; Fogerty delivered the resultant penalty to within five metres; after a line out maul was dragged to the floor the penalty was taken quickly by Bolt and a sublime flat low pass saw wing man Ryan Lee step inside his opposite number to level the scores; Fogerty was unable to add the extras.

Stoic home defence kept the Oke line unbreached but matters looked ominous when Pat Nash had to leave the field with a shoulder injury to be replaced by Nicky Martin. Armitage was again the architect of another turnover at the breakdown. Fogerty kicked the penalty to touch and from the line out and drive Bolt and Lee again combined to put the Okes 13-8 up on the stroke of half time.

The slope advantage in the second half saw the home side having the edge in terms of both territory and possession. As the half developed the Exmouth defence proved a tough nut to crack and as frustration crept in from the home side.

The visitors eventually worked their way into the Okes’ 22 and used their bulky forwards to apply sustained pressure and from a driving maul Tom McGratton was given a yellow card. The visitors then wheeled the scrum with the Exmouth number eight claiming the score. The conversion was made to put the visitors in front.

The home cause was not helped when Buster Francis was yellow carded from the restart but to the Okes’ credit they exhibited admirable spirit and held out the temporary suspensions until back to full strength. Several passages of play in the dying embers of the game, with phases well into double figures, saw the hosts throw everything towards a last-gasp victory but the stubborn and efficient Exmouth defense was not to be denied.