Tiverton have turned their Tribute South West Counties One promotion hopes into serious prospects on the back of a storming run of seven successive victories, and they were at it again with a 46-0 win at Falmouth at the weekend.
In-form winger Ben Bingham ran in five tries and kicked three conversions in a 31-point Player of the Match show on a day when both the top-two, Plymstock Albion Oaks and Kingsbridge, lost.
PAO went down 12-19 at St Ives and Kingsbridge slipped up at home to improving Tavistock 39-41. Tiverton, incidentally, have scored 278 points in their current hot streak.
The top of the Western West Division now reads: PAO 49pts, Tiverton 44, Kingsbridge 44, Tavistock 42, St Ives 39 and Paignton, who have a home game in hand against struggling Wiveliscombe, 37.
No wonder Tivvy fans are relishing this Saturday’s game against Kingsbridge at Bolham Road.
The game of last Saturday, and possibly of the season, must have been at Astley Park, where Brixham snatched a 39-38 victory over Regional One leaders Barnstaple in the dying seconds of a pulsating contest.
Barum led a see-saw battle 38-34 after a try and a penalty in the closing stages.
But they were penned in their own corner when the referee awarded three penalties to Brixham in quick succession, also sending a Barum player to the ‘bin’, and the Fishermen won it when replacement Connor Doneathy scooped a loose ball off the ground and plunged over.
It stopped Barnstaple from earning a fifth successive win, and Chew Valley’s 44-12 home win over St Austell took them back to the top of the table.
But, if Barum needed any incentive to bounce back immediately, they couldn’t have asked for a bigger chance this Saturday – it’s Chew Valley at Pottington Road.
Okehampton could not threaten Devonport Services at the Rectory Field, losing 7-48 in Plymouth.
The top of the table reads: Chew Valley 47, Barnstaple 46, Devonport Services 45, Launceston 39, Brixham 37.
Sidmouth maintained their six-point lead at the top of Regional Two when they thumped Wellington 50-0, but there’s still a right old logjam behind them.
Topsham beat lowly Newton Abbot (88-47) away, while Crediton overtook promotion rivals Wadebridge Camels with an important 38-19 win at Blagdon.
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