Sat 28 Sep 2024
Following last week's narrow defeat to North Petherton the Winscombe 1st team entertained Tiverton at the weekend, high flyers in Regional 2 Tribute South West.
Winscombe started brightly and dominated territory in the first quarter but stout Tiverton defence kept them at bay. For all their efforts the home team could only muster two penalty kicks at goal, courtesy centre Sam Dearsley after forcing a series of infringements inside the visitors 22.
When Tiverton eventually broke out of their own half they were rewarded with their own short range penalty in front of the posts, Winscombe adjudged to have not rolled away in the tackle.
The arm wrestle of a half ended with Winscombe going into the break with a narrow 6-3 lead.
Dearsley added a third penalty shortly after the start of the second period, but playing down the slope Tiverton were soon moving the ball around their back line and making deep inroads into the Winscombe half. A loose pass, however, was gathered by Winscombe flanker Oscar Browne who quickly fed scrum half Lewis Podpadec who had a clear run down the left touchline for the opening try of the game.
The score seemed to galvanise the visitors who then had their best period in the game and following sustained pressure crossed for their own converted try near the posts.
As the match moved into it’s last quarter the Winscombe pack came into their own, forcing a series of scrum penalties, with Dearsley kicking one of these from short range.
With only one score separating the teams there was still time for some late drama. Tiverton attacked strongly, forcing a series of infringements and moved steadily up to the Winscombe try-line. In the last play of the match the ball was moved to the centre where Tiverton scrum half Alex Curtis made a dart for the line only to be met by his opposite number Podpadec who tackled, released and jackalled, forcing a penalty. The ball was kicked dead securing Winscombe a win that sees them move to fourth in the table. They travel to Wellington in two weeks time to revive some historic but friendly rivalries.
