There may have been a reason for the lack of togetherness in the Weston ranks. Four of the team were making their first starts and apart from Mark Armstrong, James Reid, Ashley Russell, Paul Sprague and skipper David Burge, the remainder could muster just over a handful of appearances between them.

Nevertheless, this was a match which could have been won, but poor options and some discomfort at set scrums pegged them back.

The visitors started badly when Armstrong's kick failed to travel 10 metres and Giddy was soon kicking the first of his five penalties.

Armstrong quickly equalised with a similar score, but two more successful penalties gave Barum a 9-3 lead.

Just before the break, Tom Main retired with a shoulder injury and his replacement Stuart Board was on the field for barely two minutes when his try at the posts gave Weston an unlikely interval lead.

Armstrong's penalty attempt in stoppage time struck the left post and Board collected the rebound to score his first senior try.

Armstrong converted, but Giddy was on target again to restore the home lead then, crucially, Armstrong had what looked like a perfectly good try disallowed.

Giddy then kicked his fifth penalty and five minutes later his accurate kick from his own line found no-one at home on Weston's left, allowing Mark Galliford to give Paul Scheres an easy run-in.

Giddy converted to bring his personal points tally to 20, but Weston hit back immediately when Sprague robbed Calliford and sprinted 65 metres to the line.

The conversion kick failed again, but Weston continued to pummel the Barnstaple goal area for the remaining 10 minutes.

There were thrusts by David Price and newcomers Dan Fry and Ed Smith, but the Devonians' defence held out.

Weston: C Crichton; M Burns, C Young, J Reid, P Sprague (R Drabble 22-27); M Armstrong, R Bennett; D Price, D Burge (capt), S Williams (D Doughty 80), M Kempton, A Russell, E Smith, D Fry, T Main (S Board 44).