Second Half Comeback Not Enough!
On a cold dark afternoon at the seaside a spirited second half performance was not enough to earn Drybrook a valuable victory in the battle to stave off the threat of relegation.
Exmouth R.F.C 27pts
Drybrook R.F.C 22pts
A first half strewn with errors cost Drybrook dear as they found themselves trailing twenty points to seven at the break.
Drybrook started the game well, they kicked long and applied the early pressure. Exmouth though are also battling at the wrong end of the table and were soon back in the visitor’s half. They took the lead after Drybrook were caught offside in the backs with a well struck penalty from their outside-half.
Drybrook came back and a good break by Regan Marsh supported by Joe Tingle set up play in the Exmouth twenty-two.
The ball was sent left and Danny Price was on hand to cross for the away team. Tim Stevenson converted and that was the end of Drybrooks contribution to the first half.
Five minutes later a disrupted scrum led to a turn-over for Exmouth and a kick through was not dealt with leading to a soft try for the home team.
Drybrook already playing with a make-shift back three were further disrupted when winger Mitch Baldwin was forced to leave the field to be replaced by back-rower Lenny Mullane.
This was followed by another easy score for the
.
Cockles. An attack by Drybrook looked to have created a chance for the visitors, however another mix-up enabled the home number eight to gather the ball and run in for a converted try to take the half-time score to twenty points to seven in favour of Exmouth.
The second Half began and from the out-set Drybrook looked like a different side.
They applied themselves fully to the task and were rewarded after fourteen minutes when Danny Price crossed for his second of the afternoon. Stevenson added the extras and Drybrook were up to fourteen.
The scrum was now also operating well, and from good set-piece ball captain Ben Large forced through a gap to bring his side to within one point of the Exmouth team.
Almost immediately though Exmouth struck again with a try from their fullback converted by the ten.
With twenty minutes remaining and eight points behind Drybrook threw everything at Exmouth.
They were unlucky not to score when a deliberate knock down from the home outside half prevented Danny Price receiving the ball for his hat trick.
Stevenson did kick the resulting penalty to bring the visitors back to within one score of the lead.
With quarter of an hour left and Exmouth down to fourteen Drybrook looked as though they might sneak a win, which no-one would have predicted after the first forty minutes.
Chances were created, but good defence and poor accuracy meant that Exmouth were able to hold out for the win and Drybrook had to be content with a losing bonus point.
The loss means that Exmouth now leap-frog Drybrook in the table and the rest of the season is going to be a real battle to avoid relegation.
Drybrook will be looking for the return to a full squad and the passion that saw them competing so well at the beginning of the campaign.
On their day with the right players available Drybrook are a match for any-one, but they will need to find a deeper resolve if they want to continue to play at this level.
Drive on Dry!
Drybrook – Milner – Peaper – Price – Large – Baldwin – Stevenson – Marsh – Bourne – Frowen – Tingle – Renton – Nott – Hale – Jelf – Auker-Howlett – Mullane – Adiss – Coburn.
On a cold dark afternoon at the seaside a spirited second half performance was not enough to earn Drybrook a valuable victory in the battle to stave off the threat of relegation.