CREDITON 5 - SIDMOUTH 15

RECENT results for the First team indicated that the visit of Sidmouth should result in a home win. After all they were bottom of the league and although they had arrived on the back of a single point win against Chard, if we played to our potential then there was every reason to expect a victory.

Unfortunately, Sidmouth did not follow our script and it has to be said they ran out deserved winners.

Indeed they certainly did not look like a side at the foot of the table and on a performance such as this there is every reason to believe they will not have any relegation issues at the seasons end.

Certainly they have had a number of players back and this was the strongest side that they have put out this season but the real reason behind our defeat was simply that the visitors played the conditions better than we did.

We never reached the heights as we had done previously against Falmouth and Wadebridge, it was an off day all-round. There is no doubt about the commitment and effort put in by all 18 players during the game, but sometimes things don’t go your way so accept it, put it right in training and move on.

Play throughout was all about defences being in command with neither side managing to create a clear cut scoring opportunity.

However, once again we did concede penalties in kickable positions and Sidmouth fly-half punished us each time with three points in the eighth, 20th and 39th minutes.

Of course he did have the elements in his favour during the first period and his kicking from hand kept us pegged in our half for lengthy spells.

Territorially, Sidmouth had the upper-hand in the first half and at 0-9 down at the interval we were still in the game.

Within minutes of the second half, we reduced the arrears with a well-taken try when after several phases, replacement Josh Davey was tackled just a couple of metres short but managed to present the ball quickly for flanker Jake Clarke to pick up and dive over in the corner.

That really should have been the signal to assert our authority on the game but it only served to spur the visitors into action.

Try as we could, whenever we were in sight of the Sidmouth 22 we were never able to sustain the pressure.

Retter then slotted a penalty on 55 minutes but we were still only a single score behind yet still unable to make any headway where it mattered. Retter then killed the game off in the 72nd minute with a cheeky drop goal after a period of pressure.

The result dropped us down a place so no major damage done although it did allow one or two teams below us to gain a bit of ground.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 18, we entertain Sidmouth at home again, this time in the Devon Intermediate Shield so we have an opportunity to put things right before travelling to Paignton on November 25.

The Cherry and Whites will fancy their chances against us on their own patch as they have had some decent results this season after gaining promotion last season.

CREDITON SECONDS 17 - CULLOMPTON SECONDS 13

With neither side having a league fixture Crediton Seconds welcomed Cullompton Seconds to Blagdon for the second time in three weeks but this time for a friendly encounter.

Having been beaten by Cullompton 14-43 a few weeks ago Crediton knew that this would be far from a friendly and were anticipating a tough match.

In poor conditions Cullompton played down the slope in the first half and were pinning the Crediton side down in their own half for long periods but the Crediton defence was resilient and matched the Cullompton side man-for-man.

It was Crediton who were first on the scoreboard however when Cullompton were caught offside and Tom Ronchetti calmly converted the penalty.

Cullompton hit back and within 10 minutes they got their first score of the game. Winning good scrum ball on the half-way line the Cully backs ran a good move which split the Crediton defence and their centre ran in from 22-metres to score under the posts for a converted try.

Crediton fought back and were creating panic in the Cully defence at times but unfortunately they could not turn pressure into points.

Just before half-time Cully were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts for a high tackle which was duly converted to make the half-time score 3-10 to Cullompton.

Crediton started the second half playing down the slope with the wind behind them, but the conditions were getting worse with the rain becoming heavier.

Both teams deserve huge praise for the standard of rugby that was played in the poor conditions but the Crediton side were now beginning to make the Cully defence work really hard to maintain their half-time lead.

After 58 minutes Crediton got back onto the scoreboard when a powerful Crediton scrum on the Cully five-metres line pushed the Cully scrum back over their own try-line and with great control at the back of the scrum Rob Guthrie got the touch down with Tom Ronchetti adding the extras.

With the game now evenly balanced both teams were probing each other’s defences but neither could make the final breakthrough but on 75 minutes the Crediton defence were caught offside and Cully converted the penalty to go into a 10-13 lead.

With minutes to go Crediton finally got their breakthrough. A series of pick and goes by the Crediton forwards in the Cully 22-metres area saw them close in on the Cully try-line before the ball was moved out to find Andy Brown running a good line off of 10 to crash over for a try with Tom Ronchetti adding the extras, making the final score 17-13 to Crediton.

This was a very entertaining game for the neutral and proved to be a very worthwhile exercise for both teams instead of each having a blank weekend.

SIDMOUTH SECONDS 27 - CREDITON THIRDS 5

This was always going to be a difficult game for the Thirds but nonetheless they did not crumble against a powerful Sidmouth second string.

The Thirds are constantly coming up against other clubs Second Fifteen’s and in fairness are never out of their depth, indeed many of the players are improving by playing against better teams.

Sidmouth were certainly a big side both in the pack and the backs and maybe we sometimes show a little too much respect to the opposition.

A rejuvenated Mark Gulley scored our try in a game that everyone can be proud to have taken part in.

EXETER SARACENS 10 - CREDITON COLTS 14

Colts centre Josh Woodland took his try tally to 11 from nine games with both tries in this hard-earned victory against Exeter Saracens. Conrad Saunders added the conversions.

The second team visit North Tawton this evening, Friday, November 17, to take part in the celebration of the opening and official switch-on of their new floodlights.

Tawts now have some of the finest facilities in the County, far superior to those of some clubs playing five levels higher.

It is a great pleasure and honour for our Seconds to be a part of this historic occasion.

Tomorrow, Saturday, November 18, the First Fifteen host Sidmouth again in the Devon Intermediate Shield, the Third Fifteen travel to Honiton for a Merit Table fixture against their Seconds and the Colts travel to Newton Abbot in the Colts Cup.

Paul Harris