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Monday, November 17, 2008, 09:19
TORQUAY completed their best win for more than two years as they put the lowly Old Boys to the sword.
Not since Spartans were crushed 101-7 at the Recreation Ground in September 2006 have the Tics passed the 50-point mark.
A landslide win was always in the cards after Torquay went 24-0 up in the first half, despite not always playing at their best.
Winger Ollie Pitts opened up with a jinking 40-yard run for the first try. He was followed by scrum-half Matt Barlow who belted over from the 22.
Flank-forward George Mills, the teenager who has cemented a place in the side this season, began and finished the move that ended with a try in the corner.
All three tries were converted by fly-half Matt Jackson, who also kicked a penalty.
Torquay had more of the play after the break and the score kept mounting.
Full back Matt Williams and lock Andy Knight claimed tries before the rout really gathered pace.
Phil Maddick scored twice in five minutes with replacement hooker Chris Hallett and James Murray on the wing also going over. Jackson added four more conversions.
James Gallagher scored late in the day for the Bristol side when their forwards got their driving game going.
Clevedon 10pts, Brixham 17
BRIXHAM sidestepped the banana skin in waiting to pick up a much-needed win.
Everyone else has defeated Clevedon his season and awkward questions would have asked inside the Brixham camp had they lost.
In difficult conditions that made it hard for Brixham to play their favoured brand of running rugby, a win was ground out.
Clevedon felt they were hard done by to have two tries disallowed, but Brixham had one not given as well.
And the home side's only try came so late in the game that it made no difference to the outcome.
Brixham got just the start they wanted by going 7-0 up in the first minute.
Clevedon kicked-off, Brixham counterattacked and wing Anthony Soper went over the line with just 25 seconds played. Ben Lovell converted from the touchline.
Lovell slotted a penalty for 10 then converted a try by scrum-half Johnny Brown, jinked in under the posts.
All Clevedon had on the board at half time was a Steve Johnson penalty.
The second half was deadlocked until the last few minutes when home No.9 Chris Page claimed a push-over try behind a five-metre scrum. Johnson converted.
Lovell had one last penalty shot which the referee ruled didn't go over, even though both touch judges signalled that it did!
Paignton 20pts, St Ives 20
PATCHED-up Paignton had every reason to feel disgruntled at dropping a point.
The Cherries, struggling under the weight of a massive injury crisis, were 20-10 up with an hour gone and a win looked on the cards.
St Ives pulled back a converted try then, eight minutes into time added on, salvaged a draw thanks to a penalty.
The game didn't start well for the Cherries as St Ives took the lead in the first 30 seconds with a try from their United States youth international Will Dirksen.
Paignton kicked off, the ball squirted out of the first ruck and was collected by Dirksen, who raced away from his own half. Full-back Karl Martin added the extras.
Paignton full back Andy Sandercock kicked a penalty on 12 minutes.
Five minutes later Sandercock failed with the conversion when the ball was moved wide for winger Jarryd Harris to dive over in the corner.
The Cherries continued to press and fly-half John Clare dropped a goal to extend the lead.
As half time approached Sandercock popped over his second penalty for a 14-7 lead at the break.
Early in the second half Sandercock landed his third penalty, which was soon wiped out by a similar strike from Martin.
With an hour Sandercock landed his fourth penalty to make it 20-10.
St Ives upped the tempo and new signing Rudi Meredith, a New Zealander who was with Redruth last season, scored for Martin to conver.
In time added on due to a long delay caused by an injury to Paignton captain Stuart Kingsley, St Ives snatched the draw when Martin landed a penalty.
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