‘One that got away’ was how Devonport Services head coach Ben Russell described his side’s 33-24 away defeat at Hornets on Saturday in National Two West.
Services made the trip up the M5 in Storm Darragh looking for their first National League win on their travels.
They headed to Somerset boosted by back-to-back home successes, and they had their chances to bag another victory at Hutton Moor Road.
Yet the game just got away from them during a 10-minute spell midway through the second half, however they did score a late, fourth try courtesy of captain Matt Gregory to pick up a bonus point and could have had a second had they kicked the conversion. But young replacement Leighton Stark was unable to put the kick over.
“That was one that got away,” said Russell. “We should have won that one.
“We played the much better rugby and really moved the ball around.
“We were 14-12 down at half-time and had played well against the wind. We really played some nice rugby.
“Second half we were controlling the ball but turned it over and gave a penalty away and they just scored from a bit of pressure. We just gave the ball away too easily.
“They had a 10-minute purple patch where they scored two tries.
“It was just a bit of soft defence from us. But we went right to the end and stuck at it and got a bonus point. It was just a shame we didn’t get the other.”
He added: “There are positives, but we should have won the game. Even their lads at the end said we played some good rugby – and we do, but we just sometimes try and force that pass and are too soft in the tackle, which lets us down.”
Long-serving skipper Gregory gave Services the lead in the eighth minute, but Hornets, who have a good home record on their artificial pitch, hit back with a touch-down by Huw Morgan, which Charlie Carter converted.
Yet Services took the lead again in the 36th minute with a try by hooker Aiden Taylor, which Richard West converted.
However, on the stroke of half-time, Hornets took a two-point lead with a converted touch-down by Chris Francis.
The home side went 21-12 ahead after the interval when Joachim Hullah crossed the whitewash and Carter added the extras.
However, Services came back with another try by Gregory, which West converted to make it 21-19.
But the game turned in the space of six minutes midway through the half when Hornets scored two quick tries courtesy of Francis and Carter.
Devonport did finish strongly and the Hornets had the experienced Jake Caulfield yellow carded in the closing stages and Gregory completed his hat-trick with a try, which secured his side a bonus point.
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE will start the second half of their season 10 points adrift from safety after another heavy defeat on Saturday.
The injury-hit Bridgers were beaten 65-5 at home by in-form Lydney in gale-force conditions at Cross-in-Hand.
They were always second best to their Forest of Dean opponents, who ran in 11 tries.
Lydney led 29-0 at the break and went 55-0 ahead before Ivybridge did finally get on the scoreboard in the 78th minute courtesy of a try by Will Peakman. But they then gifted their opponents two injury-time tries.
At the halfway point of their season they have won just two games and sit second-from-bottom, 10 points behind third-from-bottom Sidmouth, who they meet next week.
If they are going to turn their campaign around, they are going to have to find a way to stop leaking points. From their first 11 games they have conceded an average of 51 points a game.
“There are certain things we just kill ourselves on defensively,” admitted head coach Davy McGregor after Saturday’s loss. “It’s not a fault of effort, but just trying to do too much individually.
“In games like this you sometimes need to simplify things, and I just don’t feel we have the maturity to understand how some games can ebb and flow.
“You look across the group and we don’t have anywhere near the experience that is needed in this league. It’s very hard to be critical with certain guys.
“It’s just a massive learning curve. This league is a lot better than maybe it was previously. Every year it is getting better and you have to try and keep up, but currently we are not up at the level as a group.
“Obviously, we have a lot of guys injured and a lot away, but you do need strength in your squad, which we don’t really have at the moment.
“We have a good Vandals team who are working hard but we just don’t have enough players to be able to step up and make that impact.
“But you can only believe and it is amazing what a couple of wins can do.”
McGregor, who was keen to take responsibility again for the heavy defeat, admits his team are struggling for belief at the moment and that they also need to show more want if they are to pull themselves out of the relegation zone.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks’ title hopes suffered a blow on Saturday as they were beaten 36-17 by Paignton in the only match in the division that survived Storm Darragh.
It was a second successive defeat for third-placed Oaks, who now find themselves 10 points behind leaders Paignton.
In incredibly windy conditions, Oaks, who were missing key backs Lewis Paterson and Corey Jamieson, found themselves 12-0 down after 20 minutes with backs Harry Law and Henry Hoare scoring tries for Paignton.
Oaks did hit back with a touch-down from winger Ed Coombs, but centre Harry Ward scored a third try for the visitors to make it 19-5.
Lock Joel Moran pulled a try back for Plymstock six minutes before half-time as they changed ends nine points down.
Oaks really needed to score the first try of the second half, but it went to Paignton, with Hoare bagging his second just five minutes after the restart.
Paignton then made it 31-10 with replacement Tom Osborn touching down and Brad McKee adding the extras.
Full-back Franco Van Rooyen went over for another score for the visitors before Andy Porter did add a consolation try for Oaks.
Tavistock’s home match against Pirates Amateurs in the same division was postponed.
In Counties Two, Saltash, Devonport Services II, Plymouth Argaum, OPMs and Tamar Saracens were all left without a game due to the weather conditions.
COUNTIES THREE
OLD Techs thought they had beaten the weather to get their top-of-the-table clash with Ivybridge II on at Weston Mill.
Their pitch was in surprisingly good condition given the recent rain and both teams were able to get to the ground with no problems.
And all was going well until the 34th minute of the match when there was a large crack and one of the giant conifer trees at the side of the pitch fell down, just missing Techs officials, replacements and spectators.
It only landed at the side of the pitch, but, with some of the other trees also looking unstable, the referee blew up to abandon the match on safety grounds.
It was disappointing for Techs who were leading 7-5 and were just beginning to get into their game and were starting to really dominate the scrums, after a bit of a slow start.
The teams had started the day level on points in second and third places, just one point behind leaders Brixham II.
Both sides struggled initially to get used to the windy conditions. Techs particularly struggled with their line-out, while Ivybridge could not really get their passing going.
But the visitors did take the lead in the 13th minute with a fine try from former first team captain Charlie Briant, who had been persuaded out of retirement to play.
Briant slipped through a couple of tackles to score on the left after Ivybridge had attacked from a line-out they earned after Techs had tried with little success to kick out of their half in the wind.
Ivybridge had another good chance not long later when Techs gave away another line-out in a dangerous position, but they defended well.
And eventually Techs started to get their powerful forwards going.
They won two penalties at scrums before they finally scored with centre Will Booth going over on the left and Sammie Matts brilliantly converting to put them ahead.
But unfortunately for them, the tree fell down four minutes later, and the referee instantly blew up to abandon the game.
Salcombe have now joined Techs and Ivybridge II on 35 points after they beat Torquay Athletic II 37-17 at home, although they have played a game more.
The other matches in the division were all postponed.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II were beaten 40-27 in an entertaining game at Truro II.
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