I missed the first half hour of this game watching the 3s against the University.
When I arrived we were seven points up with a try by Charlie Groves that was converted by Lewie Riley. 7~0.
South Molton came back with a try from a scrum where we were pushed back seriously, they sent the ball along the line to score at the entrance corner. The conversion did not go over. 7~5.
Close to half time they had a scum well into our twenty-two and pushed us back, then had a second and third scrums this time going for the line twice, the first time they were short and the second was ruled a double movement. We played out of defence with Toby Lean having a great run into their half.
Right on half time Lewie Riley put over a penalty from mid field and just outside their twenty-two that took us to a 10~5 lead at the break.
I would say that we looked very slightly stronger in the round though in the scrums we were under severe pressure every time.
The second half and we were playing towards the school end.
Most of the half produced nothing in terms of points the game going this way and that, both teams defending well. The first two scrums of the half and we pushed them back and for the remainder of the game they continued to push us but only slightly.
On twenty-eight minutes we collected a yellow card then not long afterwards another one so we found ourselves two players down in the last quarter.
Following the last yellow card from the penalty they did a quick tap and go by the scoreboard corner and despite four defenders trying to keep him out he did really well and was able to go in low and force his way through.
The conversion missed. 10~10.
Following their try all our players seemed to up their game a notch and we pushed South Molton back into their half. We won a penalty mid field and about a quarter of the way into their twenty-two. Lewie Riley stepped up to take it. Everyone thought it had gone over, I wasn’t paying proper attention and didn’t notice but apparently the two linesmen, ours and theirs, raised their flags but the referee decided it had not gone over. So the score remained at 10~10.
It was beginning to look like ending a draw. However we continued to press them back and earned another penalty mid field but much closer to the posts. This time Lewie Riley made no mistake and it went over. 13~10.
The scoreboard clock was not running and I thought we had probably five minutes to go, but shortly afterwards the referee blew for full time and we had a narrow win and South Molton picked up a bonus point. Probably a fair result and a result that keeps us in second place in the league behind Torquay but with Barnstaple II snapping at our heels.
Who would have thought a few years ago that our seconds would be a place behind Torquay in a National league?