Saints fall short in derby thriller

A clash of contrasting styles delivered four tries apiece as the two sides played nip and tuck for 80 minutes. The Saints forwards had almost total dominance in the scrum and maul but the home side held sway when the ball went wide. In the end it was full back Max Venables’s marginally better accuracy with the boot that ensured the win for the Ashes.

A frantic opening saw the home side go 10-7 ahead after just eight minutes. An early Venables penalty was cancelled out when number 8 Andy Inch finished off a fine catch and drive, converted from the touchline by Cavan Boyer. The Ashes regained the ball straight from the restart and centre Callum Cload scythed through a static Saints defence for a converted try. The visitors were on the wrong side of referee Ian Darcy in the opening quarter conceding five penalties to lose territory and eventually three more points as the home side took the score to 13-7. The Saints were made to pay dearly when they missed touch with a penalty kick, the home side ran the ball from just outside their 22 with winger Shaun Crawford finishing off an excellent flowing move in the corner (18-7). The Saints pack were now dominating the set piece and the Ashes were grateful to number 8 Steve Hillman on several occasions for cleaning up behind a retreating scrum. Two Cavan Boyer penalties kept the visitors in touch (18-13) to keep the game delicately poised at half time.

The Saints were back on level terms early in the second half with lock Josh Phillips scoring his first ever senior try (18-18). The visitors were guilty of over celebrating and the Ashes made them pay dearly for their loss of focus. Saltash won the restart and a scamper up the blindside allowed flanker Phil Eatwell to dive in (23-18). Matters were made worse when a minute later Cload was cruising through the Saints’ midfield again to touchdown under the posts (30-18). The visitors deserve great credit for fighting back when many at Moorlands Lane were expecting the home side to run riot in the final quarter. An extended period of pressure eventually saw Andy Inch power over (30-23). Just as the momentum was building for the Saints play was stopped for injury when lock Mark Vian suffered a dislocated shoulder. A twenty five minute delay ensured waiting for the arrival of the ambulance and with the referee contemplating abandoning the game, and with 62 minutes gone the result would have stood, Mark Vian bravely got to his feet and walked to the side. Play resumed with the Saints launching a wave of attacks that eventually got their reward when replacement flanker Paul Winterbottom touched down. Agonisingly the conversion attempt hit the post and then the bar before bouncing out leaving the score 30-28. With five minutes to go, the Saints missed a kick to touch for the fourth time in the game. The loss of a lineout platform was exacerbated when the visitors strayed offside in their desire to regain possession and Venables stepped up to stretch the lead to 33-28. The final minutes saw the Saints lay siege on the home try line but jangled home nerves turned to jubilation when the visitors knocked on to end the game.

A compelling contest that could have gone either way, the Saints will rue their poor organisation at restarts that allowed the home side to score at crucial points in the game. The injuries keep piling up with Mark Vian likely to be out for several weeks and Cavan Boyer forced from the field with a groin strain. With no game next week due to the World Cup Final, the Saints will be working hard on the training ground and in the treatment room in preparation for the visit of Wadebridge Camels on Saturday 7 November 2015 (KO 2:30pm).

Saints’ Man of the Match: Mark Martin – A powerhouse display in the tight and loose, providing the cornerstone for a dominant scrum and carried the ball well throughout the game.

 
Match Stats:
St Austell:
1 Hugh Noott; 2 Miles Davey (Capt.); 3 Mark Martin; 4 Josh Phillips; 5 Mark Vian; 6 Jack Grigg; 7 Will Gilder; 8 Andrew Inch; 9 Peter Tuckley; 10 Andy Ashwin; 11 Ben Chenoweth; 12 Billy Jones; 13 James Martin; 14 Darren Pellow; 15 Cavan Boyer

Reps:
Paul Winterbottom; Kyle Gallacher; George Knowles

St Austell:
Tries – Andy Inch (5, 59); Josh Phillips (44); Paul Winterbottom (70)
Cons – Cavan Boyer (5)
Pens – Cavan Boyer (25, 37)
Drop Goal –

Saltash:
Tries – Callum Cload (8, 49); Shaun Crawford (22); Phil Eatwell (47)
Cons – Max Venables (8, 49)
Pens – Max Venables (3, 20, 75)
Drop Goal –

Yellow Cards:
St Austell: None
Saltash: None

Red Cards:
St Austell: None
Saltash: None

Referee: Mr Ian Darcy (Plymouth Combination)