TAVISTOCK Rugby’s player-coach Marc Kerswill had nothing but praise for his makeshift side after a 32-14 Western Counties West defeat at St Ives.

A lengthy list of injury and availability issues meant plundering the second team for players, which meant conceding another, Devon Two game, this time against the Old Technicians. The Moorlanders 2nd XV have yet to honour a fixture this season and are in imminent danger of expulsion from their division.

Tavistock were in the game at St Ives until the final 15 minutes when St Ives claimed two tries.

Kerswill said: “It was disappointing to return with no points following a spirited performance, despite a lot of unavailable players. The team really put in a shift away from home.”

Defeat leaves Tavistock (7pts) three places off the bottom of the table. St Ives (6pts) and winless Bideford (0pts) are the teams below. St Ives held a 8-6 lead at the break. Tavistock’s Soco O’Connor scored two penalties.

The Hakes converted two tries, but a third O’Connor penalty and a Liam Watts try kept Tavistock in contention at 22-14 behind. But late on St Ives got on top.

Kerswill said: “Their set-piece came good and they turned over a lot of scrum ball, When we were eight points down Liam Watts went for a do-or-die interception in our half and knocked-on, only to be sin-binned and a penalty try awarded. St Ives then scored a well-worked try from the restart kick.”

Tavistock are at home to Bude this Saturday.