South West one (West)Okehampton 24Teign 9THE OKES got back to winning ways with this welcome five point haul, which was hard earned in sticky conditions.

The back pitch is becoming a stronghold for the Okes as their impressive home form continues. After two small margin defeats on the road, this win sees the maroon and ambers back into the top five of the table.

The Okes fielded a three prop front row, including the sizeable presence of youngster Johnny King making his first team debut. Winning the toss at home they elected to play up the slope on a gluepot pitch.

The hosts started with vigour and purpose but a penalty awarded against them allowed the Teigns to enter the Oke’s twenty two and they then played effective keep ball up front for several minutes. Okehampton resisted pressure near their line, but eventually infringed to allow an easy shot at the posts. Fly half Lidstone accepted the three pointer to give the visitors the lead after nine minutes.

The Okes then foolishly tackled the catcher in the air from the restart to concede more ground as Teignmouth found another touch in the Okes’ territory but it failed to come to anything.

Lidstone missed an ambitious penalty kick from inside his own half, before another infringement saw another penalty to the visitors and the Okes were six points down.

A quarter of the match had elapsed and the Okes started to threaten the visitors outside defence. Scrum half Joey Bruce made a couple of breaks, and the Okes went through several phases, but indiscipline allowed the hosts to relieve the pressure on more than one occasion.

The pressure on  the visitors defence was increasing as the clock hit the half hour mark. Brad Curtis, impressive again in the engine room, was carrying forcefully when his progress was curtailed by one of many high tackles. This time the ref had seen enough and binned Teigns number eight Ford as a result. Okehampton seized the opportunity as they took advantage of their extra man after 34 minutes. A close range ruck up the right touchline created havoc,and the ball was shipped to the short side via a missed pass which put winger Ryan Lee over in the corner for the game’s first five pointer.

At 5-6 up the slope the Okes were in a good position to take advantage of the incline when their turn came. The interval was on the horizon and the hosts were now firmly on the front foot.

The scrummage was in the ascendancy, and despite some not unexpected lack of accuracy on their own ball, the Okes pressured a Teignmouth lineout sufficiently to force a turnover. Martin Harrison-Browne snaffled it and set off on a charge up the right touchline.

The Okes’ back rower and coach strode inside and found skipper Tom McGratton in support via an exquisite backdoor offload. The Oke captain cut inside the flailing cover to dive over the whitewash between the posts to extend the Oke’s lead bang on the interval. Richie Friend, potted the conversion and at 12-6 up with the slope to come, the Okes were in pole position despite never really clicking in the first half.

The match restarted, but the first 15 minutes of the second period were largely forgettable as the conditions and incessant penalties created a stop start affair.

Teignmouth, now back to their full complement, were holding their own and were next on the scoreboard. Lidstone adding his third penalty goal on 58 minutes to close the gap to a  mere three points.

The hosts were again reluctant to use the boot but still managed to approach the Teignmouth try line as the match entered the last quarter. Several powerful charges were resisted but a home score was looking increasingly likely.

When  the try did eventually arrive in the 65th minute, it was of the pushover variety. At an Oke five metre put in, and it was captain Tom McGrattan who was the beneficiary of the a significant shove, as he grounded the Okes’ third try. One that, albeit unconverted, stretched the lead to a more comfortable eight point margin.

The South Devon visitors refused to roll over though and they had a ten minute spell of pressure, aided by Okes losing McGrattan to the bin for a high tackle offence. No score was forthcoming for the Teigns during their period of numerical advantage however,and as the match entered the last few minutes it was the Okes turn to go back on the offensive as they sought the fourth ,and bonus point yielding, try.

The home side camped in the bottom right corner and battered away, seeking an opening. In the last minute lock Brad Curtis picked up and powered his way over for the score his performance merited, and one that returned the full five point win for the Okes.

The full time whistle went immediately after Richie Friend had added the extra two, and the curtain came down on a workmanlike, but effective victory.

The Okes never looked in serious danger and any win boosts confidence.