Western Counties West

Okehampton 13

Devonport Services 3

WINTER finally arrived this week for an Okehampton side that had so far had firm, dry conditions for each league home match. The pitch held up well, but undoubtedly played its part in a game that lacked width, if not effort from both sides.

Devonport Services arrived full of vigour and hope after a useful start to their league season and began the game down the slope in committed fashion. They produced some useful phases of play through the pack in the early exchanges and were rewarded with an early penalty, which was missed by Matt Anstis.

Okehampton were struggling to forge any fluid play or decision making in their re-jigged backline, and the Devonport forwards were holding the upper hand in the first quarter. The Okes were forced to defend impressively, an attribute that they were to demonstrate in abundance throughout the match.

Against the early run of play, the Okes took the lead when full back Andrew Brimmacombe slotted over a penalty from the 22 yard line. The lead was a brief one though as Anstis equalised with a penalty kick soon after.

Play was often embedded in the middle third for much of the remainder of the first half, as Services attacked the fringes and the Okes repelled all their efforts. Anstis went on to miss another two penalty chances that on a drier day he would surely have potted, and Oke were happy to soak up pressure knowing they would have the elements in the second half.

As half time approached the hosts came closest to scoring. A series of pick and drives laid siege to the visitors' goal line. A scrum ensued but Devonport srummaged effectively and quashed the Oke advances so the teams went in at the interval 3-3..

Okehampton started the second half in the ascendancy, applied pressure in the Services 22, but to the visitors credit they defended stoutly and the home side were unable to carve out a clear opening.

A series of close range scrums often looked like they would result in a try, but nothing materialised from the plethora of home possession. Crucial turnovers and penalties were allowing the visitors to regroup and clear their lines as the third quarter ticked away. Eventually the crucial opening score came. It always seemed that in these conditions, the side to score the first try would be in control. Okehampton attacked down their left flank and it was flanker Tom Mcgratton who finished off the sequence with a try. He crossed in the bottom left corner in a pile of bodies, but the referee was sufficiently satisfied with the grounding to award the score. The conversion was missed, but Oke now held all the cards for the remainder of the match.

Okehampton played the wrong tactics at times, but when they put the ball behind the visitor's defence they gained useful territory. Replacements came on, and with Gareth Williams showing up well as a willing ball carrier in the back row, they began to turn the screw. A clever kick ahead by replacement fly half Sam Ewen was chased effectively by winger Alex Dennis. The Services full back was caught behind his own whitewash, and Okes had the five metre scrum inside the last minutes. The first scrum was wheeled and the ball squirted out allowing the visitors to get the put in. Oke produced a good shove though and number eight Neil Perrot, who had another excellent game, picked up went open, and powered over for the score that sealed the result.

Devonport Services threw 'the kitchen sink' at the Okes in the last few minutes. Home captain Gareth Espin was next to see yellow as the home side withstood the onslaught.

Services were awarded several penalties as time ran out, but surprisingly failed to take the three points that would have gleaned them a well deserved bonus point.

This was not a classic, but a win ground out by Okehampton in sticky conditions, against a useful and improving side, with a severely weakened line up,was a good result. The Okes now rise to second in the table.