CULLOMPTON 46

CREDITON 18

CREDITON travelled to bottom placed Cullompton and were given something of a pasting.

The home side were much rejuvenated having parted company with their coach in recent weeks, a number of players have returned to the club and certainly on this performance the Cully rise up the table is almost a certainty.

Unfortunately, on this performance the same cannot be said of Crediton, nothing seemed to go right as we came off second best in most aspects of the game.

Defensively, we were simply not at the party as the home side were gifted tries through some poor tackling in what was probably our poorest performance for a couple of seasons.

Certainly the competition is tougher this season but there was a confidence in the camp that we would give a good account of ourselves and end in a respectable position.

With 20 games to go it is of course too early to suggest that that confidence was misplaced but given our current position, results have to change pretty soon before the gap between the mid-table clubs and ourselves increases.

The reassuring thing is that we know we have the players capable of producing the results, all it needs is one performance with a win and confidence will return.

For the record, our tries were scored by Josh Lee and Wayne Reed with Ollie Avery-Wright landing a conversion and two penalties.

CREDITON ‘QUINS 23

CULLOMPTON SECONDS 0

The news for the ‘Quins was much better as they entertained Cullompton Seconds in Devon Merit Table One and with both sides currently sitting in mid-table, an evenly contested game was anticipated.

Indeed that is very much how things turned out for the first 30 minutes as Cullompton had the edge up front but it was Crediton who were dominating territory and creating the better scoring chances.

The first score followed a period of sustained pressure in the Cullompton 22 metres area where only desperate defending from the visitors prevented Crediton from getting over the try line, however Cullompton were penalised for being offside and Devon Hosegood duly kicked the points.

Both sides were conceding penalties and quite correctly, the referee eventually decided he had had enough after 35 minutes and when hooker Matt Moyes caught offside at a maul, he effectively “took one for the team” and was yellow carded.

Being a man short did not deter the Crediton players, far from it in fact and they continued to take the game to Cullompton and were rewarded right on half-time when, after winning good line-out ball the forwards set up a well-controlled catch and drive to power over the Cullompton line where John Gurzynski got the final touch down for an unconverted try, giving Crediton a 8-0 lead.

Crediton began the second half as they had finished the first and were soon adding to their score.

From a scrum five metres from the Cullompton line, the visitors were driven over their own try-line where John Butt got the final touch down for an unconverted try.

With a clear lead, Crediton upped the tempo stretching the Cully defence and a quickly taken tap penalty by Ed Brady was moved wide to winger Mike Pearce who made a strong break through the Cullompton defence before putting Jack Boulter over in the corner for a well-deserved try.

Ten minutes later Crediton added another try to their total and again this came from another quickly taken tap penalty which saw centre Jake Clarke make a line break to put Mike Pearce over in the corner for an unconverted try.

Unfortunately the game was brought to abrupt halt 10 minutes from time when a Cullompton player suffered a head injury whilst making a tackle which necessitated an ambulance to be called so the referee called time which was the most obvious and sensible thing to do.

Although it took a time for the Crediton team to get going when they did they played some very good rugby and it was only very good defensive play by the Cullompton players which kept the scoreline down.

CREDITON HORNETS 34

WITHYCOMBE SECONDS 3

The Hornets continued their good form and moved into second place in the Merit Table with a comfortable victory over Withycombe Second Fifteen.

The visitors were the first to score with a penalty but that is as good as it got for them.

Centre Scott Mills bagged his usual couple of tries and there was one apiece for lock Richard Gray, prop Phil Holmes, and full-back Phil Anning who also added three conversions and a penalty.

CREDITON COLTS 12

SIDMOUTH COLTS 24

The Colts suffered a disappointing home defeat against Sidmouth although the game was marred by an injury to Jack French who broke his ankle. We wish him a speedy recovery.

There will be no games played tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, but the Rugby World Cup final will be shown at the club house - all welcome.

Fixtures for next Saturday, November 7: First Fifteen v Devonport (home); Second Fifteen v Devonport (away); Third Fifteen v Paignton Seconds (home) and Colts v Exmouth (home).

MAUREEN STEVENS

Club members will be saddened to learn of the passing of Maureen Stevens who for many years served the club doing teas in the 1960’s and 70’s.

Maureen will be fondly remembered as a cheery lady always with a smile and will be sadly missed.

Our thoughts are with John and Simon and the family at this sad time.