NORTH TAWTON 9 - TORQUAY 13

NORTH Tawton’s winning start to the season came to an end on Saturday, September 21, at home to a well organised Torquay team, which seemed to control the tempo of the game as they wanted.

With only one try all match it was never going to be a contender for match of the season, in truth it will probably be remembered for all the wrong reasons from a North Tawton point of view.

North Tawton started the game with key players missing for various reasons and a couple that were starting to feel the effects of man flu.

To compound the issue we lost key man Kev Dennis with what looked like a serious knee injury half-way though the game.

Unlike the previous two games we got underway with North Tawton on the back foot, Torquay coming out of the blocks with real intent.

It was not long before a still trying to settle home team conceded what turned out to be the only try of the match, with the kick added, it was 0-7 to the visitors.

North Tawton set about trying to pick the tempo of the game up.

North Tawton like a fast running game but Torquay, who I am sure are very aware of this, and I feel with the aide of the referee, used every chance to slow the game down.

It seemed at times the busiest man at Taw Meadow was the Torquay physio. There were some really long stoppages, not helping a home teams fast game approach but giving a heavier side a chance to have a blow "as and when".

With the help of some penalties when the ref chose to award them the Tawts were not letting go and we went into half-time 9-10 to Torquay.

The second, what should have been 40 minutes, was another helping of long delays albeit with a yellow card for Torquay, the lady ref finally having enough of some Torquay tackling and issuing the yellow.

The feeling in the home supporters camp was not before time!

As the game ground towards the closing quarter, a penalty to the visitors took the score to 9-13 and mean’t the Tawts needed at least a try to go in front and pinch the win.

They set about this with as much go forward as the ref would allow, Torquay players dropping like flies at any given time.

We spent the final few minutes of the match almost camped on the Torquay 10 yard line, but credit to the away team, the Tawts could not find a way through and with a dubious knock on called we ended this encounter with the first loss of the season for North Tawton, who pick up the very valuble losing bonus point.

I am sure the Tawts will have a good look at some aspects of this game and move on with some exciting challenges coming up, and will need to field their strongest side at every opportunity next week a good example an way trip to Truro, not for the faint hearted.

This weeks game sponsor was Dave Pyle and MoM was Jordan Cornthwaite, always in the running for the award every week.

Chris Phare