North Tawton Seconds 10
Barnstaple Thirds 16
WITH three yellow cards and a high penalty count one would think this was a dirty encounter — nothing could be further from the truth. It was a hard match played fairly.
North Tawton started the scoring in the first ten minutes with a Joe Fewings penalty.
Play was fairly even, contested mainly in the middle of the pitch. North Tawton found themselves in the usual position of playing against a heavier pack and suffered the consequences in the set pieces, but when the ball went loose they were quicker in broken play.
Barnstaple's dominance up front began to tell and on a sticky pitch they drove the ball well and put North Tawton under pressure in their own 22.
Had it not been for good relieving kicks by scrum half Phil Whale and Graham Killick they would have been in greater trouble. Killick was making his debut at outside half and looked comfortable in a difficult situation.
But Barnstaple still pressed and despite excellent defensive tackles North Tawton succumbed to a penalty try. This was closely followed by a Barnstaple penalty on the stroke of half-time to leave the score 10-3 to the visitors.
North Tawton could easily have let the game slip away but such is the spirit of the club that, ably led from the front by captain Kevin Avery, they took the game back to Barnstaple.
North Tawton were surprised by two penalty decisions against them to let Barnstaple increase their lead to 16-3.
Again North Tawton came back with every player doing his part, with good rucking by the forwards and some good handling in the three quarters. It was from such play that North Tawton scored the try they deserved. Veteran No 8 Danny North finished off with a surge to the line for a try converted by Joe Fewings.
But it was too late for North Tawton to come back.
l North Tawton v Prince Rock/Woodland Fort this Saturday, league, kick-off 2.30pm.