SIDMOUTH 26-23 NORTH TAWTON RFC

AFTER last week's road trip to Cullompton, North Tawton found themselves on their travels again, this time a trip to Sidmouth, who always puts out a very competitive side, and as the afternoon went on, this match was no exception but I wlll say from the start, rarely have Sidmouth had to work so hard for a home win.

The game started in glorious sunshine, and it looked as it proved that it was two evenly matched sides going at it for the full 80 minutes.

It was North Tawton who broke the early deadlock with a penalty from the boot of Ollie Robinson, a nerve-settler with the regular 10 missing today, along with the usual scrum half also not playing, so it’s 0-3 to the Tawts.

Sidmouth soon hit back with the first of their four tries, a missed kick it’s 5-3 to the home side.

While it would be fair to say that most of the play was taking place near the Tawton try line rather than the Sidmouth line, it was still nip and tuck who was playing better, with the Tawton defence holding out a very determined Sidmouth attack and putting together some purposeful attacks of their own.

Sure enough, who goes over for Tawtons first try but that man Simon Quick; he really is becoming the engine room of the Tawton side.

Missed kick it’s 5-8 to the Tawts. Yet again, Sidmouth strike back with their second try; this time with the kick added it’s 12-8 to the home side.

North Tawton regroup and after some pressure, get awarded a penalty, kicked by Ollie Robinson, takes us to 12-11.

With the halftime coming up Sidmouth strike again with another converted try, taking us to the whistle 19-11 in Sidmouth's favour.

We start the 2nd half in much the same way as we did the first, with the home team doing their share of the attacking.

Tawton holding them out and engineered a try from Archie Taylor missed kick it’s 19-16.

It’s still anybody's game. With the clock ticking down and both sides using their full bench, Sidmouth scored what proved to be the winning points with their fourth try of the match, with the kick added it’s 26-16.

It’s more points than minutes left so the buzz in the Tawton camp is that a losing bonus point would be good to take away from what has been a very entertaining match, with dogged determination and a never say die the Tawton side with an equal share of skill and grit, get their much-deserved try that man, Si Quick got his second of the game kick added it giving the final score of 26-23.

All in all a good game of rugby was had by all.

Chris Phare