Veor 34 - North Tawton 28

NORTH Tawton travelled deep into the Dutchy to face Veor, a team who have their home in Camborne.

Veor is a team sitting a few places above North Tawton league wise and a team that the Tawts had beaten when they had visited Taw Meadow.

But, that was in the days of old with not so many injuries or sickness.

With all due respect to the players that took to the field that afternoon, it was a very depleted squad that prepared to do battle for the 80 minutes.

When Veor went 14-0 up in the first 15 minutes, even the most hardy feared the worst, the Veor pack getting the better of a completely new look North Tawton front line, a look forced by injuries to key players.

But something happened, almost offended by the ease of giving up these tries so early in the game, the whole North Tawton team stepped it up and with ball in-hand went about their business with a belief that could be felt from the touch line.

By the time the referee blew for half-time the scores were level at 14 apiece, North Tawton very much in this game.

The second half started with the patched up Tawton team losing another player to a hand injury.

The Tawts were getting down to the bare bones but now, with a good period of play from the first half, things might look good for an upset.

Veor rattled with the Tawts fight back.

It was the case of the home team trying to play the power game pushing up through the middle and the Tawton side trying to keep the ball out on the wings and keep it in-hand.

The next score was a try for Veor, the bigger forwards proving to be just that, with the kick taking us to 21-14.

Soon after, Veor added their fourth try and it looked like the game has gone away from North Tawton, the score with 20 minutes to go, 28-14.

Veor added a penalty, to make it 31-14 and now things do look desperate for the Tawts but bring on the second fight back and fight back they did.

A well worked try, with kick, gets us to 31-21.

Veor got another penalty to make it 34-21, but North Tawton quickly answered with their fourth try of the match, taking us to 34-28.

We are in the dying minutes of what has turned out to be a very even contest between two well matched sides.

North Tawton finished the game with ball in-hand pushing hard for the try that would give them the win but driven in to touch it brought the game to a close.

Veor were the winners, North Tawton coming away with two losing bonus points but most of all their pride intact.

Every player gave it their all in a hard fought encounter that in truth nobody expected to win.

Chris Phare