With North Petherton just above us in the league this was a must win game for Cully to draw us clear and make it impossible to be relegated. Cully achieved both in style but not without some tribulations on the way. I mean, Why make it easy for yourselves?

Both teams started brightly but Cully had the slight edge and on 6 minutes Cully had a lineout on the 5m line. It was taken well and after advancing a few yards Hurrell broke away and then off loaded in the tackle for Sam Cooke to go over next to the posts. Josh Luxon got the conversion. 7 – 0. Play ebbed and flowed between the 22’s for a while until in the 22 minute Pethy had a scrum on our 5m line. They got a small shove on and then passed out to their 12 on the blindside who stepped passed his defender to score. 7 – 7. Pethy started to have the better of the play and after a defensive lineout they had a penalty after Adam Jarret came in at the side of the ruck to clear out the jackaller and caught him with a shot to the head. The Ref gave a straight red card that was hard to argue with. It took just 2 minutes for Pethy to capitalise with a try. 7-14. And they scored a penalty just 3 minutes before half time to take a 7 – 17 lead. They seemed to relax thinking that half time was just around the corner. Cully went on the attack from the restart though and got a penalty which was taken quickly by Furner and after a line break by Shere was spread wide. Cully were on the 5m line now and after a couple of pick and goes getting them to line, Furner looked to go wide but Jez Turner had other ideas and picked through the middle for a try on Half Time. With Josh getting the conversion the score was 14 – 17. A score that many fans were happy with after playing for 18 minutes with 14 men.

Only the players will know what was said at half time and one of the Pethy fans was overheard to say “we play like S*** against 14 men”. He was correct. The second half was all Cully. Pethy stopped trying to spread the play and seemed to think their forwards could do it all. Cully went to a fast paced game, spreading the ball wide at every opportunity. On 50 minutes a 5m lineout by the clubhouse was driven in field where they eventually halted near the posts, Furner spread it wide and after May and Luxon had nearly made it to the line Furner had a quick ruck to pass to Jack Grandfield to score. Josh getting the conversion. 21 – 17. Pethy got a scored a penalty 3 minutes later but Cully hit back straight away. After a poor clearance by Pethy the ball made it’s way to Cooke who broke 3 tackles to go over next to the posts from just outside the 22. Again Josh got the conversion. 28 – 20. 5 minutes later Matt Whitlock went over after a very poor dropout was collected by Shere inside the 22 spread immediately to Whitlock who rounded 3 defenders on his way to the corner and ended under the sticks. 35 – 20 after another conversion. Pethy came to life for 5 minutes and scored a try for 35 – 27 but Cully were still hungry. 7 minutes before half time they were in again. They had a scrum on the Pethy 22. The was passed across the field with good ground being made before they came back the other way with ball ending up with Sean Strange to score in the corner by the clubhouse. A final conversion from Josh and the half finished 5 minutes later with a Cully win. 42 – 27.

The boys played exceptionally well especially in the second half and the Pethy fans I talked to said we were by far the better team. Tiverton under the lights on Friday in the Plate Final now awaits the boys and hopefully we’ll take a lot of support over the hill.

Scorers Sponsors

Sam Cooke - Ian Cooke
Jez Turner - United Fixings Ltd
Jack Grandfield - Woofenden Construction Ltd
Matt Whitlock - South West Poultry Installations
Sean Strange - Phil Ludgate (Phil the Ink)
Josh Luxon - Kirk Holway