Mounts Bay.......... ........................17
Callington..................................14
CALLINGTON faced their toughest League Two test of the season so far on Saturday when they travelled to Penzance to meet Mounts Bay, a team created to provide competitive rugby for aspiring players with the Penzance/Newlyn club and introduced to the Cornwall League this year.
Callington started the match with great determination and spent the first ten minutes pressurising the Mounts Bay line. Despite the pressure, Callington were unable to turn it into points and it was Mounts Bay who, against the run of play, took the lead when awarded a penalty in front of the posts. This increased the confidence in the Mounts Bay team and, as they began to take control of the game, Callington were forced into giving away penalties in order to stem the tide. Two of these were kicked and despite some late pressure from Callington, Mounts Bay ended the half 9-0 in front.
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Mounts Bay reasserted their ascendancy from the kick-off and a further penalty increased their lead to 12-0. Despite the scoreline, Callington had remained competitive throughout and had tried to use the ball that they secured to release their strong running backs. This was finally rewarded when Rob Congdon made a break down the left wing, with the ball being carried on by outside half Jeremy Jones and centre Mike Davis. A quick ruck by the forwards then allowed the ball to be moved to the right with Mike Davis releasing his co-centre Ali Skews to score an excellent try near the posts. The added conversion by Jeremy Jones brought Callington right back into the game at 12-7.
The impetus was maintained and Callington, with excellent support play, immediately drove back to the Mounts line. Drive after drive was initially held up but this could not last, and, eventually, picking up from the back of a scrum, No. 8 Mark Jacobs forced his way over the line. The conversion gave Callington the lead for the first time and set up an exciting final 15 minutes.
The commitment of the Callington defence was unrelenting, with the forwards throwing themselves at every ruck and maul to try and prevent a Mounts comeback gaining any momentum. However, it was not to be and, with less than five minutes to go, Mounts secured a scrum five metres from the Callington lineand the right wing crossed in the corner for a try that remained unconverted but was enough to give Mounts Bay a 17-14 victory.
An enthralling match, this was highly committed rugby between two well-matched sides, deserving their top of the table status. For Callington, this disappointing result should not hide the enormous strides that the quality of their rugby has made in the last three years, and this augurs well in their push for promotion this season.
Lankelly-Fowey........................0
Roseland......................................36
LANKELLY more than held their own for the first twenty five minutes with the stiff wind against them but then they faded. In the last quarter of an hour in the first half they conceded four tries, of which three were converted by Roger Teague.
With the wind behind them in the second session Lankelly played with great spirit and should have scored on more than one occasion but the more experienced Roseland side were not to be denied and although they were restricted to only two more tries they never looked like losing their grip on an enjoyable game.
Chris Poskus (2), Jon Statham (2), Bud Rosewall and Colin May contributed the visitors tries.
Saltash Reserves ..............13pts
Liskeard/Looe 11s.....................12
BOTH sides had an equal share of the ball throughout and a draw might have been a fairer result. But with experienced old heads in both sides, the enthusiastic youngsters lined up alongside them more than illustrated the future potential available to both clubs.
It took Liskeard all of 15 minutes to break out of their own half. But when they did, they went ahead on their first visit inside the Saltash 22 with Matt Flynn charging down a late clearance, and following through to touch down for Garth Hannaford to convert.
Saltash were almost back on terms ten minutes later after Paul Keen won a thirty yard dash and got a hand to a wayward ball behind the Liskeard line, and then nudged ahead with Rob Bewes landing a penalty to make it 8-7 at the break.
A sustained period of Saltash pressure earned Swampy Marsh a try in the corner to make it 13-7 midway through the second half. Liskeard pushed for a score and were finally rewarded with Kevin Bunkum going over outside the woodwork. Only for Hannaford to put what would have been the match winner wide of the posts with the last kick of the game.
CORNWALL ONE
P W D L F A Pts
Saltash 5 4 0 1 117 62 8
Bodmin 5 4 0 1 63 42 8
Wadebridge 4 3 0 1 147 34 6
Helston 5 2 1 2 55 79 5
St Agnes 4 2 0 2 73 60 4
Falmouth 5 2 0 2 62 92 4
Redruth Al 5 1 1 3 44 130 3
Lisk/Looe 4 1 0 3 40 56 2
St Day 5 1 0 4 53 155 2
CORNWALL TWO
Mounts Bay 5 5 0 0 108 50 10
Callington 4 3 0 1 36 32 6
Stithians 4 3 0 1 30 30 6
Illogan 4 2 0 2 105 45 4
Camborne 4 2 0 2 7 27 4
Veor 4 1 0 3 37 115 2
*Roseland 4 1 0 3 56 46 0
*Lankelly 5 0 0 5 0 36 -6
** ** **
SALTASH was the venue for this highly entertaining quarter-final county cup ko U-14 match, between Saltash and Liskeard (yr 9).
Liskeard started well with an early try by Gareth Temlett which fly-halt Baz Hocking converted expertly. After this try, the game found its quick pace which both teams adapted to well. Liskeard went up 12-0 when Baz Hocking got his first of two tries. Tempers flared as the tension rose, but Liskeard added another try, scored by Adam Hutchings, just before half-time. The game carried on at its lightning pace, with Saltash refusing to give up, even though Liskeard added to their score with a penalty conversion. Saltash finally earned their reward for this effort, as they got a try back from their inside centre, Brinton Nute, who had been threatening to score the whole game. This gave the Saltash side new hope, which was killed off as Baz Hocking scored his second of the game, also taking the conversion with ease. Brinton Nute got his second of the game, but the match was over as the final whistle eventually went. Liskeard going through to the semi-finals by a well deserved 27-10. Man of the Match went to Hooker, Stephen Hudson for his solid tackling, expert hooking and hard work.