MATCH REPORT : SATURDAY 28th SEPTEMBER 2013 TORQUAY ATHLETIC 26 v PENRYN 24 Ultimately Torquay Athletic owed this last gasp win to a hint of good fortune when an untimely piece of verbal indiscipline by a Penryn player caused Devon Referee Chris Connabeare to march back the visitors a further 10 metres on a penalty award. This gave Tics main place kicker Alex Jeffery a better chance of success with a kick 24 metres out to the left of the posts. Skipper Jeffery coolly obliged with unerring accuracy against a strong headwind, which had blown downfield from the sea for the whole match. In so doing he preserved an admirable 100% strike rate during the afternoon. It should not have been like this. Penryn arrived unbeaten after three League games, lying second in the Table. However, although the visitors may not agree Tics looked the more likely winners and for many periods of the game the home side had shown better structure, fluency and potency to their play than their opponents. Fresh from the derby win at Queens Park Tics were without Jimmy Beardsmore (knee), James Wood (recurring groin strain) and Jonathan Woodhead, who was suffering from an infected ankle. Following a knee strain Matt Williamson returned to the 13 shirt, with Alex Brown starting at no. 12 and Tony McCarthy reverting from centre to full back. Jake Knight replaced Woodhead in the second row. Starting with thunder and lightning around five o’ clock in the early hours rain had persisted unabated throughout the day and only relented thirty minutes into the match. However the pitch held up well, with no surface water threatening whether the game would go ahead. Unfortunately the adverse weather led to a modest turnout of supporters. Tics kicked off towards the cricket square with the brisk wind at their backs and in the third minute Jeffery slotted a penalty from short range in front of the posts. Penryn then enjoyed a good share of possession but looked somewhat tentative and lateral in their play. Then No.8 and Captain Jordan Rose decided to lead by example and took the ball diagonally infield from the back of a lineout, breaking two tackles in the process before chipping through for his backs. However the chaser was unable to gather and knocked on, whilst Jordan was injured in being tackled as the ball left his boot and had to leave the field (although he was later to return). From the resulting scrum Torquay broke out of their own 22’ and left wing Aaron Graham made a good break, but his inside pass to Williamson on the 22’ was around the ankles and did not go to hand. Undeterred, Graham (who had seen little of the ball on the narrower Queens Park pitch a week earlier) then created space for Williamson by running towards the opposite flank, but the outside centre was well tackled on the 22.’ However all this threatening activity by the home backs proved to be a rehearsal for what was arguably the best try of the game at the midway point of the half. From a lineout on their 10 metre line Torquay backs moved the ball right to left. Alex Brown saw a gap and made a telling break before finding Sam Fellows up in support on the 22’. The young fly half was able to run in from here under the posts, allowing Jeffery an easy task to add the extra two points. 10 – 0. Then Penryn reduced the arrears when fly half Jake Seviour judged a penalty kick wide right very well, after Torquay had infringed offside. Next another lineout to Torquay down the right on half way was securely taken. Winger Andy Gormley came off his station and ran straight, breaking two less than convincing tackles on his way to the line. Jeffery converted and after 35 minutes Tics led 17 – 3. A few minutes later an easy penalty chance for Penryn from 20 metres in front of the posts was converted by Seviour for 17 – 6. Just before half time Williamson made good ground down the left wing channel but his attempted flick pass on being held up did not go to hand. After a short spell of Penryn territorial pressure, caused when attempted Torquay clearances went too long in the wind, Torquay’s backs again showed enterprise with a break out from deep involving interchanges between Williamson, Graham and Fellows. Half time arrived at 17 – 6 with Tics now facing playing into the wind. From the Penryn re-start the horrors of a first minute aberration at Wellington on day one of the season were repeated when a try was meekly conceded within thirty seconds, without a Torquay player touching the ball. In mitigation it did appear that the swirling wind affected the flight of the restart drop kicked ball, which flew through one pair of hands to the ground. Chasing left wing Colin Campbell swooped and showed quick feet with a couple of side steps to take him past bemused remaining defenders. With the wind at their backs Penryn now had a lifeline, although the conversion was missed. 17 – 11. Torquay came back and rumbled a won lineout ball from 24 metres infield. Good ball retention by the forwards with a series of pick and goes sucked in the defence but a good chance to add to the score went begging as the ball spun wide left created an overlap but went to ground. At this point Chris Dorling withdrew Brown for Joe Ward with Alex Bilkey taking the place of Carl Turner at hooker. Tics maintained good momentum but in a carbon copy of what had occurred a few minutes earlier, driving forward play and timely release to the backs inside the opposition 22’ saw another left wing overlap wasted by the quality of the final pass. Next, once again pressing on Penryn’s 22’ Gormley came off his right wing and almost made it to the line. He was held by one leg just short and in trying to move his free foot to gain purchase to stretch out he was injured and retired. On 55 minutes Penryn were penalised in front of their posts and from the 10 metre line Jeffery added 3 points for a 20 –11 lead. Penryn were then able to claim back those points when Williamson was penalised for a deliberate knockdown in trying to go for an interception. 20 –1 4. Tics came back on the attack with two lineouts within the opposition 22 after Penryn went offside. Although under pressure from an attacking scrum on their own put in Tom Whitford picked up well at No.8, as he had done all afternoon, whenever the Penryn pack had sought to disrupt the set play. Torquay were having much of the attacking play but were unable to finish and were being thwarted by Penryn’s overly keen flirtation with the offside line. With ten minutes to play Penryn were penalised for a scrum offence and from 30 metres out to the right Jeffery was able to draw in his kick for a 23 – 14 lead. Penryn kept battling and then scored a try from half-way. Their willowy left wing Campbell jinked his way through and timed an inside pass to inside centre Andrew Seviour, whose clever line enabled him to score under the posts. His brother Jake added the conversion. The score now 23 – 21 and home nerves jangling at the way that the visitors had managed, almost imperceptibly, to claw their way back into the game. For Tics worse was to follow when Bilkey was sent to the sin bin after the Referee deemed that his tackle in front of the posts and 28 metres from the tryline had taken the ball carrier’s legs above hip level. The penalty was gratefully dispatched by Jake Seviour to gave Penryn the lead for the first time in the match, with only two minutes on the clock remaining. 23 – 24. Almost from the kick-off Penryn infringed but then queried the decision, giving Jeffery the comfort of an extra ten metres, upon which he duly capitalised. There was just time for Penryn to kick off and return to the Tics 22’ but Torquay managed to smuggle the ball back from a ruck and Jeffery duly planted it gratefully into touch , bringing forth the welcome final whistle. Final score 26 – 24. Torquay Team: 15 – Tony McCarthy, 14 – Aaron Graham, 13 – Matt Williamson, 12 – Alex Brown, 10 Sam Fellows, 9 – Alex Jeffery, 1 – Stehpen Smith, 2 – Carl Turner, 3 – Gavyn Webber, 4 – Jake Knight, 5 – Rupert Edwards, 6 – Jon Oliver, 7 – Richard Read, 8 – Tom Whitford. Replacements: Alex Bilkie, Rob Alison, Joe Ward (all played). Arsing from this result Tics moved up to sixth position (joint fourth on points) in the table and have the opportunity to consolidate over the next fortnight with an away fixture against bottom Club St. Ives and then at home to Tavistock. This, before two testing away fixtures against Teignmouth and Burnham-on-Sea, who lie second and first respectively. The Quins had no game but the Extras pulled off a remarkable 25 – 26 win, away at Cullompton II’s, despite travelling with a bare fifteen players and at one time being reduced to twelve players on the pitch. The Colts continued an impressive start to the season coming from 0-5 down to beat Tiverton Colts 10 – 8 in a friendly at TVN. Tony Brierley secured the winning try.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:16:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015