Withycombe RFC faced a tough defeat against Exeter Saracens at Raleigh Park.

Battling against strong winds, Withies fell short as errors plagued their gameplay, allowing Sarries to take early advantage.

By the third minute, Exeter had capitalised on the wind's assistance to secure territorial gains, translating these into an opening try in the corner.

Luke Pattison quickly responded for Withycombe, equalising the score after just six minutes.

However, two penalties soon saw Sarries retake the lead.

Withycombe’s attempts to regain control only led to more handling errors, giving possession back to the opposition.

This resulted in two more tries for the Sarries before half-time, with the score standing at 7-25.

The second half began with promise for Withycombe, as scrum-half Alex Peterson broke free of the defensive line to score within 46 seconds.

Fueled by this success, Withycombe intensified their attack, pressuring inside Exeter’s 22-yard line.

A charged-down clearing kick led to a scoring opportunity for Liam Daniels, who seized the ball to score.

Tom Cooke’s conversion reduced the points deficit to just four.

However, these were the last points Withycombe would score.

Despite their efforts, luck seemed to evade them in numerous phases of play, allowing Exeter to further extend their lead.

The match concluded with a final score of 21-47 in favour of Exeter Saracens.

Despite the defeat, positive gameplay phases were noted, offering Withycombe areas to focus on in the upcoming training sessions.

The team now braces for another challenging match next week against unbeaten Torquay Athletic, who will visit Raleigh Park.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 2.30pm.

The team will be looking to improve on their performance, drawing on the lessons learned from their encounter with the Sarries.

The wind may have been a factor this time, but Withycombe will be hoping for a more favourable outcome next week as they face another formidable opponent.