Welham Cup, first round North Tawton 13 Okehampton 2nds 3 THE party hats were out at the Taw Meadow clubhouse as North Tawton celebrated the first leg win in this annual fixture between the two neighbouring clubs. Both sides were ?up for it? in a derby match which brings out the best in grass-roots rugby. Even though being one player short Okehampton honoured the fixture with North Tawton loaning up-and-coming young player Tom Davis to play for the opposition. Okehampton started well and within about five minutes they had gained a penalty and fly half Evan Rees put them three points up. From the restart it was evident the North Tawton scrum were in good form and they began to dominate proceedings in the set pieces. The good ball thus provided gave their three quarters the opportunity to attack the Okehampton line with good breaks by winger Dave Quick and centre Phil Wale. There was no way through the resolute tackling of their opposite numbers however, and Okehampton held out well for some time. Two penalty attempts from Tawton?s kickers just drifted wide of the posts and both sides were now vying for superiority over opponents they knew almost too well. Okehampton also had opportunities to score from penalties but failed to improve their score. On the stroke of half time it was North Tawton?s Ross Lawrence who pulled his side level with a good penalty strike. In the second half things were more even in the loose play and Okehampton kept themselves in the match with more good tackling. Tawton?s line out was also working well with last week?s try scorer Richard Lethbridge flying high to take some valuable ball for his side from the accurate throwing in of hooker Neil Davis. Finally North Tawton were able to cross the opposition line when one of a series of mauls close to the visitor?s try line broke up and the ball was fed quickly to Adrian Peirce, Tawton?s loose head prop. Spotting a gap close in to the side of the maul he drove through and broke the last-ditch tackling to score a well-deserved try. Ross Lawrence converted and with his second penalty kick soon after sealed the victory for North Tawton. In the last stages of the match Tawton came closest when a good kick through found a gap in Okehampton?s defence. Two Tawton players dived onto the rolling ball as it neared the dead ball line, second row Neil Peters seeming to get the touch down. Unfortunately the referee had succumbed to the muddy conditions and was unable to see the score from his position, on his back on the ground. To win the cup outright North Tawton will have to be at their best again on February 12 when the second leg is played at Okehampton.
