Sat 30 Jan 2010
Barnstaple 17 pts Weston-super-Mare 22 pts
WESTON continued their fight to climb away from the relegation zone with this third consecutive and valuable league win over fellow strugglers from North Devon, who had started the day above the Seasiders, but who had changed places by the end of the match.
This completed a hard-working seasonal double over Barnstaple, and in doing so dispelled the memory of the surprise losses incurred last season against the same opposition.
Once again, the win was due to a dominant performance by the forwards who mercilessly bullied the Barum eight to the extent that their front row could hardly compete.
Why their hooker remained unpunished for constantly standing up, or more pertinently, being squeezed up in the set piece remains a mystery.
The home side somehow held out for the first 15 minutes without getting out of their half. Glenn Dickson, having uncharacteristically missed a couple of kicks in the tricky breeze, finally got Weston on the board.
Barnstaple prop forward Nott was yellow carded after 29 minutes and from the resultant scrum, No 8 George Sparks, who enjoyed a splendid match, touched down a regulation pushover try.
Perversely the extras were missed. An 8-0 lead after half an hour did not reflect the game, and five minutes later, the home side, on a rare visit to Weston territory, conjured a simple overlap try for their full-back Galliford, following quick and accurate passing by the backs.
The early stages of the second half brought more of the same.
Dickson kicked his third penalty after two minutes, the forwards having once again taken play to the opponents line, and 10 minutes later, following more forward pressure, second row forward Andy Richards flattened a couple of demoralised opponents as he drove through for a try, and a 12 point lead of 19-7.
Barnstaple fly-half Giddy, confusingly deemed to be "man of the match", slotted a penalty after 59 minutes, and two minutes later Dickson restored the advantage with his fourth penalty.
The last quarter saw a change in impetus. Weston lost concentration, and back row forward Smith to the sin bin.
The hitherto quiet Barum faithful, and there are a lot of them, launched into their characteristic soccer chant more associated with the "New Den" than Pottington Road, and the home players responded accordingly, finally winning some ball, and running it at every opportunity.
The Weston defence was sorely tested and with eight minutes remaining, Mark Fatialofa drove over for a short range touch down after a series of rucks on the Weston line, which was converted to close to 17-22 and bonus point territory.
This concluded the scoring as the visitors fiercely repelled all further scoring attempts.
For Weston, the front row, as a whole, deserves the accolades. Sparks was outstanding, closely followed by George Wright, and there was a highly competent first team debut for scrum-half Jack Conway, who played as a junior at Weston, and has returned to the club.
Weston team: Harry Warman, James Arnold, Sean Bennett, James Mackay, Paul Sprague, Glenn Dickson, James Conway, David Price, David Burge, Simon Williams, Andrew Glen, Andrew Richards, Ed Smith, George Wright, George Sparks (Stuart Board), Steve Donegan, Chris Young.
