Sidmouth Colts 12 Okehampton Colts 13 Okehampton Colts travelled to Sidmouth for a must win game that would define their play off status for the merit table season. Playing up the slope and against the wind the start saw the Okes under pressure from a poorly fielded kick-off . Sidmouth have finished in the higher echelons of the league and with a renowned back line , they used the early pressure to run in a try from their hard running centre putting them 7-0 up within the same number of minutes played. From the early onslaught the visitors regrouped and from intense pressure from the back-row unit of Crocker, Hall and Barrington the home side were forced into errors with the younger Okes' side now turning the screws with a series of pick-up and drives with both Barrington and Hall going close. Even against the elements the game was now all Okehampton with the forwards in particular putting their physically advantaged opponents under pressure in the scrum, lineout and especially the ruck. Eventually it paid off and after more great work from the back row, possession was spun wide for winger Rob Fishleigh to finish well in the corner. Although the conversion was missed , Carl Poynton added another three points with a well taken penalty to bring the score to 8-7 to the Okes at half time . Okes continued to press in the second half. Five minutes into the half a well placed kick-off with great follow-up from the forwards saw Sidmouth under immediate pressure. With the front row of Simpson, Benney and Moyse putting their counterparts under all sorts of pressure the Okes shunted the home pack back that saw the ball squirt out of the scrum . Live wire scrum half Richard Friend pounced and gathered the ball to break a last ditch tackle to score with less than five minutes of the second half gone. While putting the visitors 13-7 up it also stirred up the hornets' nest and Sidmouth now came at them with all guns blazing. As fatigue set in for the Okes following their earlier efforts he game now swung very much in Sidmouth's favour. They threw everything at the Okes and only desperate defence kept the home side out but inevitably the pressure eventually paid off when they scored wide on the left. At 13-12 to the Okes the conversion was crucial but with sighs of relief the ball hit the upright . Okehampton regrouped and the restart saw them again threaten the Sidmouth line when Barrington, breaking from the base of the scrum, showed great strength to break several tackles and head for the line . Sidmouth again came back at the Okes and after more heroic defence the visitors suffered a yellow card to reduce them to 14 men. Fly-half Radnor, who moved to nine, already struggling with an ankle injury played his part in defence as did the back line of Wonnacott, Poynton, Grayling, Chisolm and Fisheigh performed heroics in preventing further scoring from the home side. There was still more drama to come. From a clearing kick Sidmouth ran the ball back at the Okes when the referee blew for obstruction giving a penalty to the home side – to the visitors' relief the kick was missed. This was a terrific performance by Okehampton, who started as underdogs.
