Devon 2 League Topsham 46 North Tawton 13 FROM the bottom of the league last week to the top of the league this week, North Tawton faced Topsham, who are yet to lose a match in Devon Two. With some changes from the previous match North Tawton started well, contesting the home side for territory and the pack settling well with propping pair of brothers Peter and Danny Wonnacott up front. The home side?s three-quarters soon showed they were to be the decisive difference between the teams as their full back Rob Holman stepped back inside to wrong-foot the cover and open the scoring with a try, which he also converted. Although Tawton responded well, the well drilled Topsham pack set up a mauling drive allowing their half back space to put in a long cross kick, making good use of the strong wind to put the ball into touch. This developed into a pattern during the half, and the pressure on the lineouts was increased when Tawton?s hooker Speedy Pierce went off with a recurrence of a rib injury, to be replaced by Richard Yeandle. A missed penalty by Topsham and a good covering tackle by Tawton?s Tom Davis out on the right wing kept their hopes alive. Topsham had the edge on pace in the threes and although they could not break through the centre they ran in five more tries as the half progressed, twice outflanking the Tawton defence down the wings. Their scorers were Polish scrum half Wojiech Malizewski, two for Gavin Gardner, and one each for David Court and Holman. Two of these were converted and the score rose to 36-3 for the home side - the three points for Tawton coming from a penalty converted by young scrum half David Fewings. Late in the half it was Fewings who scored Tawton?s try with a fine individual effort from a tapped penalty. His chip over the defence and a bounce which eluded a Topsham player allowed him to pick up his own kick and step past a final defender to score by the posts. He duly converted to give Tawton 10 points at the break, to Topsham?s 36. North Tawton made a good start to the second half, determined to get back into the match. Their threes were covering the wide breaks better and a good tackle by Zac Matravers closed down a threatening attack on the right wing. An injury to Tawton?s front row meant Peter Wonnacott had to leave the field, bringing on Keith Jones for his first game following a long injury lay-off. The pack was re-organised but a period of sustained pressure by Topsham finally led to a break for Peter Fitzsimmons to score a home try. Evidence of the new determination of the Tawton squad showed as it had taken a full 20 minutes for the previously dominant side to start the scoring in the second half. In the final stages of the match Tawton substituted Neville Phillips with Kevin Avery, and good sniping at the base of the scrum by Fewings disrupted Topsham?s scrum ball. Finally a penalty for Tawton was given in range for Fewings to convert the place kick. The last score went to Topsham when a maul developed close to Tawton?s line and the drive allowed them to touch the ball down. The conversion was missed.