After a couple of minutes, Liam Jarvis thought he had scored after a couple touching down behind the posts, but sadly, he had not heard the referee's whistle for a forward pass earlier. Seven minutes in and a try for Matt Gregory, from just in our own half, Topsham had lost control of a ball bobbing after a George Pooley grubber kick it through, and under pressure from Shaun Crawford, Liam Jarvis took it and made ground, tackled it, went to Matt Gregory, who from about half way made it under the cross bar to score and converted by Sam Brown. 7~0.
Ten minutes later, Topsham collected a yellow card when their hooker had to go off and sit on the wall for ten minutes.
Eighteen minutes, a try near the turnstile corner by James McFarlane going in low from a catch and drive move, the conversion was missed. 12~0.
Twenty-one minutes, we missed a penalty.
Twenty-eight minutes, a penalty try to Topsham for a deliberate knock on, I think, and a yellow card to Sam Brown. 12~7.
Thirty minutes, a try near the posts for Charlie Groves after Richard Goldsby-West and George Pooley made a good runs, converted by Richard Goldsby-West. 19~7.
Thirty-nine minutes, try to Richard Goldsby-West near the turnstiles after a catch and drive, slowed down by Topsham and it split up, the core went through the middle for Richard to score. 24~7.
At this point, we looked well in control, but then just on halftime, Topsham scored and converted to make it 24~14 at the break.

This seemed to jolt Topsham into action in the second half.
On minute fifty-eight, they kicked a penalty, 24~17. They were now getting a little too close for comfort.
Fortunately, not long afterwards, Sam Brown kicked an easy penalty from just about in front of the posts and near the twenty-two. 27~17.
Topsham came back with a try on the twenty-eighth minute. This came after a period of pressure by their forwards that ended when their Number 8 went over under some pressure from the defenders, closing the gap to 27~22.

Then the try of the game for me, Tom Davies on the right wing, playing towards the school.
It started on halfway, he slipped the first tackle and, with George Pooley on his inside, sold a lovely dummy to the final defender, ran round his outside and in to score by the groundsman's hut. Converted by Sam Brown, we pulled away to 34~22.
But two minutes later, Topsham scored after the ball went through many hands, ending with their winger, who was able to go in untouched by the defence at the entrance corner.
A good conversion 34~22.
We picked up a second yellow when George Pooley was sent off, not sure what it was for.
The game ended with a team run down the left wing with Mike Rickard as the ball carrier having a one/two with Harrison Coonick, then scoring at the standside school end corner.
39~29.
That was how it ended.
A flat period at the start of the second half, but just when it was needed at 27~22, when Topsham, with the sniff of a win and a league upset a possibility, we suddenly realised the position and got it together with a fine try by Tom Davis to lift us, then an unlikely pairing of Harrison Coonick and Mike Rickard speeding down the left wing for Mike to score in the corner.
A bonus point for us, and one for them.
Bertie Fordham was given the Nigel Chivell Memorial Man of the Match award by the Topsham vice Chairman.

The First team.
1. Oli Symons.
2. Rob Walsh.
3. James McFarlane.
4. Matt Gregory. (c).
5. Mike Rickard.
6. Liam Jarvis.
7. Bertie Fordham.
8. James Hocking.
9. Richard Goldsby-West.
10. Sam Brown.
11. George Pooley.
12. Dan Lilley.
13. Shaun Crawford.
14. Tom Davies.
15. Charlie Groves.
16. Josh Martin.
17. Harri Hayman.
Harrison Coonick.

The Management.
Ben Russell.
Rikki Bentham.

The Second team.

The seconds faced Crediton II, who are in the bottom quarter of the league.
Crediton seemed to have lost the script because their forwards started with a bang and inside three minutes had scored an unconverted try.
This stung us into action, though for most of the game their forwards continued to be strong.
We started the scoring with an Ethan Hilland try converted by Matt Opie to make it 7~5.
This was followed by two Sam Fincham tries, the first converted by Matt Opie. 19~5.
The team were looking good, fast play, good supporting, giving Crediton little time to much attacking of their own, they had to defend across a wide front.
Toby Knowles scored, then scrum half Ben Whysall had a long run from our own half to score, with Matt Opie converting. 31~7. Matt Opie scored a try of his own, which he converted.
38~5.
James Thorp scored folowed by Ethan Millard, both converted by Matt Opie.
to make it 52~5.
By this time i had gone to watch the firsts, so I think this was the half time point.
After the restart, it was a completely different game; we just seemed to turn off, job done.
Credition saw their moment and scored three tries and converted one of them to make it 57~22.
We collected two yellow cards during that time; the only bright moment was Toby Knowles scoring his second to end the game at 57~22.
As your school teacher might have said in your end of term report, 'In the second half, could have done better'
However, you can't complain about the score line; the game was won, and we remain on top of the league.
Bideford, who are in second place and we have yet to play away, lost by a point to South Molton.

1. Yianni Costas.
2. Ethan Hilland.
3. Louis Tout.
4. James Thorp.
5. Nathan Todd.
6. Elliott Lupson (vc).
7. Henry Gascoyne.
8. Ethan Millaqrd
9. Ben Whysall.
10. Aiden Taylor. (c).
11. Matt Neyle.
12. Ewan Piercey.
13. Toby Knowles.
14. Sam Fincham.
15. Luke Stannard.
16. Alex Gibson.
17. Billy Sutton.
18. Leighton Stark.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield esq
Steve Hilland.