South Molton U9/10s 20

Okehampton U9/U10s 15

OKEHAMPTON made the long trek to South Molton expecting to play both age groups but were disappointingly informed that South Molton only had a combined team.

On a sticky pitch South Molton opened up with some good rugby and after good interplay went 10 points up within five minutes.

Okehampton came back strongly with Jordan Lee and Dan Curtis making some heavy tackles in defence. Will Searle and Michael Heard spearheaded excellent attacking moves and Jordan Lee and Matt Johns replied with two tries after excellent handling in sticky conditions.

Okehampton, in an effort to give all a game, made wholesale changes which allowed South Molton to regain the momentum and go further ahead with two breakaway tries.

To Okehampton?s credit they reduced the deficit after good work by Buster Frances. Lloyd Heard and Will Searle both went close in the last period of the game before Matt Johns made one of his darting breaks along the wing.

Unfortunately for Okehampton an illegal tackle by the South Molton full back stopped him in his tracks only a few yards from the opponents? line.

Despite repeated Okehampton pressure in the final seconds, determined tackling kept them at bay.

This week home to Barnstaple 11am.

South Molton U12/U11s 0

North/Okes U11s 14

DUE to a shortage of players, South Molton combined their U11s and U12s to play the visitors in a shortened game. The North/Okes were, even with some key players missing, more than a match for their larger opponents.

Much of the North/Okes? recent success is down to their defence, much of which was evident again. Will Hawkin, Andrew Fishliegh and Darcy Heard tackled and hassled the home side into making mistakes behind the gain-line, with Andrew North putting in some big hits to unsettle the opposition. Bill Sharp and Sam Robinson stopping anything that came near them.

Heard made a break down the touch-line but was forced into touch. Hawkin was unlucky to have a try disallowed from the lineout, when the referee judged the throw to be not straight. Chris Reynolds, in his first start for the team, made some good runs, one of which he offloaded to North who crashed over for the first score, converted by Heard.

The handling by the North/Okes back line has improved recently, with North, Heard, and Cameron Rickerby, running and timing their passes well. It was such handling that led to the second try. Rickerby floated a pass to Kevin Dennis who passed inside to North who broke a couple tackles before being stopped short of the line. From the ruck, Robinson broke down the blind side to score in the corner, converted by North.

Despite a spirited fight back South Molton were unable to breach the visitors? defence.