LISKEARD-LOOE were beaten in a close encounter at fellow top-four hopefuls Bude at Bencoolen Meadow on Saturday.

The Lions headed up to North Cornwall off the back of a fine victory over Newquay Hornets, but had to make a number of changes. When the team was selected prior to Thursday night training the Lions had a full squad of 19 players, by the end of the session two had dropped out, and with no other players available they travelled with just two on the bench in forward Will Gouge and back Mike McCarthy.

Bude got off to a flier and within five minutes scored the first points of the game with an unconverted ‘catch and drive’ try.

Within three minutes the Lions were level as following their put in at a scrum deep inside the home 22, the ball was secured with No.8 Flynn Elworthy picking up at the back to force his way over for a try that was converted by centre James Noel-Johnson to put the visitors ahead at 7-5.

After an even next 10 minutes or so, in the twentieth minute Liskeard went further ahead. Great work by Noel-Johnson as he stood strong in the tackle following his run at a good angle, the ball was released and Elworthy latched on to a pass out wide to go in for his second try, this time unconverted, to put Liskeard seven points to the good.

On the half-hour, from a Bude scrum inside the Lions 22, saw home scrum-half Olly Mounce snipe his way over for an unconverted try to make it 12-10, which was how it stayed until the break.

After a shaky start it had been a tight half with the Lions starting to play well and fully deserved their lead.

Starting the second half reasonably well, Liskeard looked to be getting on top again, but in the 55th minute Bude intercepted a Lions pass, racing in from halfway to score and go back ahead.

That try seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors and on the hour mark Liskeard were reduced to 14 men when captain Archie Doidge was sent to the sin-bin for ten minutes. The ensuing penalty was taken quickly and the hosts were soon able to score a converted try under the posts.

The hosts then got their fifth try out wide in the 78th minute as the visitors were left to lick their wounds.

The view from the touchline was that Bude were not 15 points better than the Lions, but unfortunately they let in in two soft tries and the intercepted pass on top of them.

There were several performance of note by the visitors, including from Elworthy, Noel-Johnson and tight-head prop Mike Prowse after he had started the previous game on the other side of the scrum.

After the game he was also presented with his side’s man-of-the-match award for showing his versatility and putting in a strong scrummaging performance. That was adjudicated by club stalwart Terry Brennan.

LISKEARD-LOOE: Kieran Underhill; Alex Kendall, Jack Badnall, James Noel-Johnson, Sean Simmons; Callum Beaver, Jay Mason; Mike Mander, Archie Doidge (capt), Mike Prowse; Dan Lethbridge, Jason Flitcroft; Andy Rowe, Will Hoskin, Flynn Elworthy. Replacements: Will Gouge, Mike McCarthy.

Tries: Elworthy (2); Convs: Noel-Johnson; Pens: N/A.

Lions’ man-of-the-match: Mike Prowse.