North Tawton RFC 13 Crediton 2nd Team 0

NORTH Tawton RFC invited the Crediton 2nd team to Taw Meadow on an autumnal Friday night to play under the floodlights.

A large crowd of both home and travelling fans watched an enthralling game played out between two evenly matched sides- but it has to be said that it was the home team that shone the brightest under the lights.

Not only did they secure a well-deserved if somewhat unexpected victory but they completely shut out the opposition which is no mean feat.

The game started with both teams sussing each other out with most of the first five minutes or so being played in the North Tawton half. Crediton were testing the Tawton defence, a defence it has to be said they found to be solid all game from the scrums to the rucks and mauls. It was a well-organised effort that time after time, denied the Crediton attack.

With the North Tawton backs getting into the game through some handling errors by Crediton, the Tawts captain made the first break and Ryan Goss put the first points on the board. A missed conversion left the score at 5-0 to the hosts.

Crediton seemed to up the intensity, looking for a try of their own but it was not long before another misdemeanour gave North Tawton three more points in the shape of a penalty, 8-0.

From the neutral view, the second half was better than the first, both teams playing with a lot more freedom and both playing some good quick rugby. Crediton were desperate to get on the scoreboard and to get a foothold in the game but North Tawton continued busting a gut to keep them out.

For all the hard tackles going in, the game, from a spectator's point of view, was played in good spirits.

North Tawton found themselves on the Crediton 22-line with a scrum. North Tawton, despite the smaller size pack, had given a good account of themselves up to this point and a great push, with almost everybody joining in, drove home a second try scored by Brad Hudson.

The Crediton heads never dropped and they threw the kitchen sink at North Tawton but as the scoreboard tells you, to no avail.

Somehow the home team held on even though they played the final few minutes with 13 men after the ref adjudged some of the defensive work to be a little too inventive.

A final score of 13-nil speaks to a team growing in confidence and Mike Young and James Miller could not be separated for the Man of the Match award.