Tiverton stay unbeaten but lose top spot after narrow 22-13 win over Okehampton
Tiverton remain unbeaten in the Two South West division after making it three wins in a row with a 22-13 victory over Okehampton on the Bolham Road ground.
But missing out on a four-try bonus point – they only scored three – means Tiverton have surrendered their share of top spot. Crediton and Topsham are the current joint leaders.
Although Tiverton were 12-0 up at half time, they were never far enough ahead to feel truly comfortable.
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Had Okehampton kicker Luke Simmons been a little more accurate – he missed two conversions and two penalties – the outcome could have been different.
Tiverton were only six points ahead with two minutes to go. When they were awarded a penalty in range of the posts, they kicked it.
“The choice was kick for touch and go for a possible fourth try and a bonus point, or kill the game off, ” said Tiverton coach Jon Hill. “We killed the game off. ” Hill said Tiverton should have been out of sight long before the last two minutes, but largely had themselves to blame for living on edge. ” “Okehampton only came in our half once in the first half and we should have been 25 points ahead, ” said Hill.
“We created lots of scoring opportunities, but blew most of them, ” said Hill. Okehampton did defend well and we were unable to get the ball over the line. ” Alex Curtis and Ben Bingham did find a way over the Okehampton line. Henry Sellick converted the former.
Okehampton cut the leeway from the second-half restart kick with a corner try for Greg Alford.
Sellick converted a Tom Stevens try to give Tiverton some breathing space, but not for long.
Okehampton’s Tom McGrattan scored an opportunist try after a Tiverton kick was charged-down. Simmons did not make the conversion, but did add a penalty to leave six points in it. And that’s how it stayed until Sellick’s ‘killer’ penalty with two minutes to go.
Hill said there was no point trying to hide the fact Tiverton were not at their best. But there was one bright spot.
“Our line-out did not function, our kick-game was poor and we were not switched-on at the breakdown, ” said Hill.
“But when it mattered, at the end, we grafted hard to win it. ” Tiverton are away to Winscombe this Saturday.
Cullompton will have to wait at least one more week to get off the mark in Two South West after losing 34-32 at Truro.
Two points on the road – one for scoring four tries, the other for losing by fewer than eight points – were scant consolation for third successive defeat. Two yellow cards – one each for Sean Strange then Rob Luxon – did Cully no favours.
Cullompton were ahead until the dying embers of the game when Truro popped over a penalty to snatch a narrow win. It was the last kick of the match.
Man of the moment for Cullompton with three tries was winger Zac May. The odd try of the four was put away by Luke Shergold on the opposite flank. Stand-off Matt Whitlock kicked three conversion and a penalty. Cullompton will be hoping for a change in fortunes this Saturday when they hit the road to Newton Abbot.