By Gareth Davies - Cornwall Sports Media

Tribute South West One West

Keynsham (3) 13

Tries: Concannon (2). Pen: Challenger.

St Austell (5) 5

Try: Boyce

St Austell ended the calendar year with defeat to Keynsham in a real arm wrestle of a match at Crown Fields.

However, despite having their colours lowered for just the third time this season, Saints head into 2022 top of the South West One West pile. None of their nearest challengers played in this last round of fixtures with second placed Devonport Services handed a free weekend. And due to the ongoing rise in covid-19 cases, both Chew Valley and Lydney had their respective home games against Bridgwater & Albion and Old Patesians called off.

With both Saints and Keynsham’s playing squads returning negative lateral flow coronavirus tests, the game went ahead on a heavy pitch. The hosts looked to use their obvious weight advantage in the scrum from the get-go but after a successful Sam Challenger penalty, Saints drew first blood when CJ Boyce crossed.

Saints weathered a barrage of home attacks during the first half, but a determined rear-guard action meant the Cornish outfit went into the interval 5-3 ahead.

After the break it was more of the same from Keynsham with the game swinging in their favour after 50 minutes when Saints’ influential playmaker Matt Shepherd was forced off with a nasty facial injury.

From that point onwards, Keynsham dominated and two tries from pint-sized scrum-half Joe Concannon saw the points stay on home soil.

Saints made the long trip to north Somerset on the back of an impressive win over Crediton last time out. The Cornish outfit were forced to make two changes from the side which saw of plucky Creddy as Dan Job and Kyle Marriott sat out. They were replaced by Brandon Haque and Jack Grigg as Adam Kellow moved to the base of the scrum. On the bench, Joe Maunder came in for Cam Taylor.

Keynsham themselves came into the match on the back of a morale boosting win over rock bottom Old Patesians in their last match and right from the first shrill blast of referee Wayne Davies’ whistle, the hosts dominated.

After just two minutes, Saints were adjudged to have been in front of Shepherd’s clearance and Keynsham fly-half Sam Challenger had a chance to kick his side in front. Surprisingly, though, Challenger missed the mark although shortly after, he made no mistake from the tee.

Saints were under the pump and with Keynsham playing with a penalty advantage, Shepherd managed to intercept a long raking pass out wide. However, play was brought back and Challenger made no mistake this time.

The visitors responding well to going behind and when Keynsham incurred the wrath of merry whistle blower Davies, Shepherd kicked deep into home territory. A safe line-out followed and after Saints rumbled forward, scrum-half Boyce darted one way, then the other to scoot over.

Shepherd’s conversion looked like it had drifted wide and after one touch judge said yes, the other no. Referee Davies ruled in favour of Keynsham’s merry flag waver and the conversion didn’t count. Ultimately, this decision would cost Saints a losing bonus point.
Despite shipping a try, Keynsham were soon back in their stride. Looking powerful going forward and dominant at scrum time, the K’s should have scored on 21 minutes when Shepherd’s kick on his own line was charged down, but the ball wasn’t cleanly gathered.

The rest of the half saw Keynsham continue to butcher chance after chance and surprisingly, when they got in range and on the right side of Davies’ whistle, they opted for a line out drive instead of inflicting further damage on Saints’ wilting scrum.

In the dying embers of the opening stanza, Saints were handed a numerical advantage when Keynsham’s Matt Clifton saw yellow. Alex Welland ran from his own 22 into midfield and when the ball was moved back inside, Shepherd was taken high by Clifton. The Keynsham lock was instantly sent to the sin-bin and despite the hosts’ dominance, they went into the interval behind on the scoreboard and a man down too.

But after the break it was more of the same from Keynsham, with Saints sticking to their first half script too. The game’s pendulum then swung towards Keynsham when Shepherd collected an accidental stray boot and suffered a deep gash to his face. After a period of treatment, the former Redruth and Plymouth Albion man was forced off and this prompted a back division reshuffle.

Clifton’s return from the bin saw Keynsham go for broke but not for the first time, a lack of composure with the try line beckoning and stoic Saints defending frustrated the hosts. So much so that on 57 minutes, they opted to kick for goal when presented with a penalty inside St Austell’s half. Challenger’s radar went awry again though and Saints were still ahead with 20 minutes left.

Shortly after that penalty miss, Keynsham finally got their act together when in range and the ball was shifted wide for Concannon to cross out wide. Challenger missed the conversion, but Keynsham were back in front and this time, it was a lead they would never surrender.

Saints huffed and puffed in an attempt to find a way back into the match but it was to no avail. Any hopes of a comeback faded when Haque was shown a yellow card four minutes from time and Keynsham made St Austell pay.

In a carbon-copy of his first try, Concannon went in after the ball was shifted across the Keynsham back line with Saints stretched. The conversion drifted wide and despite Keynsham having a further effort chalked off during time added on, they were good value for victory with the final score line ultimately flattering Saints.

Saints: Bees, Nottle, Ewudzi, Plummer, Welland, Shepherd, Boyce; Haque, Davey, Nicholson, Knight, Vian, Grigg, Jago, Kellow. Replacements: Maunder, Boothby, Tyrrell.

Keynsham: Chester, Sayer, Warren, Miller, Concannon, Challenger, Pearce; Harvey, Clements, Coghlan, Cowan, Clifton, Linton, Johnson, Weston. Replacements: Wright, Harding, Hackett.

Referee: Wayne Davies (Somerset)

Attendance: 200 (estimated)