Sat 26 Oct 2024, 15:00
On a beautiful autumn afternoon Weston travelled to near neighbours Gordano for this must win contest.
Gordano kicked off and within two minutes they were leading when they spun the ball wide to outpace the defence.
The try was converted.
They scored again in the fifth minute when a simple break blind from a scrum was easily converted into seven points .
When Weston lost the ball in contact the ball was speculatively kicked over the top and a lovely bounce put the winger in under the sticks to make the score twenty one nil in the tenth minute.
Things were not looking great for the visitors until following a rare attack they earnt a penalty which was kicked to the corner. The defence held and only a forward pass from an interception prevented the hosts from getting their bonus point.
Weston finally got on the board when a lovely reverse pass by scrum half Jack Press put inside centre Archie Tilsley over near the posts. Fly half George Nuttycombe converted.
In the twenty second minute a fine blind break by Press led to lock Ross Chesher scoring expertly converted by Nuttycombe from wide out on the left.
With some tremendous mini breaks by prop Fatai Koloi punching holes in the home defence Weston were now in the ascendancy and after a couple of near misses following several forays captain Gary Carpenter barrelled over to reduce the deficit to two points. Nuttycombe produced another corker from the sidelines to even up the score but after a loose kick was gathered cleanly by Gordanos full back the hosts punched through empty spaces to give themselves a seven point advantage at the break.
In the forty fifth minute a loose pass by the hosts was pounced upon by left wing Hayden Main who kicked through from
forty metres to put Weston level following the conversion. Main then made an amazing try saving tackle to prevent the hosts from scoring.
Gordano then gained a penalty from a barnstormer of a scrum which they kicked to the corner. Weston closed the gap and they took a quick tap but fullback Chris Young nearly intercepted but unfortunately gained a yellow for his trouble. Gordano took the scrum and were rewarded with five points to put them once again in front.
In the seventieth minute Gordano infringed and a couple of quick taps by Press ended on the home line with replacement prop Martin Hakunavanhu being held up. However from the kick out Nuttycombe produced another moment of magic to jink his way to the line and added the conversion to put the visitors two points in front.
Weston nearly added to them lead when Carpenter went storming through but eventually Young was stopped near the line. But Gordano had infringed and Weston kicked for position.
The visitors then camped on the hosts line but eventually spilled possession and the chance went. But Weston won the ensuing scrum against the head and Nuttycombe went blind to put Weston seven points clear and win the game.
After the disappointing start Weston regrouped and with some barnstorming performances notably by Fisher and Fatai Koloi in the forwards and half backs Press and Nuttycombe Weston eventually just about deserved their victory.
