Exmouth 15 - 3 Clevedon
As it would be his last Exmouth game for a while, centre Dale Sleeman led the Cockles team out on to the field and with showers and a cold strong wind blowing in from the river it might have been a foretaste of the conditions he will face when he starts his chosen career in the Royal Navy. With showers threatening most of the afternoon this was never going to be a classic game of rugby and with injury time adding ten minutes to the game, the players are to be congratulated for putting on any game at all.
Exmouth were always in control and spent long periods in the Clevedon half but their natural tendency to open things up let them down more than once. Although not necessarily attractive, maybe there were times when the forwards should have stuck the ball up their shirt and driven, but with young front row men Ed Baxter, Thomas Blampied and new boy John Pinney challenging the order, they are learning fast and the future in this department looks good. Bearing in mind the conditions it was surprising that a winger caught the eye but Paul Morgan certainly did and his handling and tackling game was capped by a cracking try.
Exmouth kicked off into the wind and for the first 10 minutes the game was played between the ten metre lines. On ten minutes Exmouth were awarded a penalty and Richard Cadywould punted the ball to the Clevedon five metre line. With the ball back in play and referee, Andy Bickle playing advantage, the Cockles pack drove towards the visitors’ line. When it appeared to collapse in a heap most observers assumed a try had been scored but when Mr Bickle ran off and stood under the posts they realised a penalty try had been awarded. Richard Cadywould converted from in front of the posts. 
Following the restart Exmouth had a good period of possession but cold hands and some poor options spoilt some otherwise good play. As the end of the first quarter approached, a lapse in concentration gifted a penalty to Clevedon in mid field and with the wind at his back Rory Biggins posted Clevedon’s first score. The game continued to be played in the middle third of the pitch and although Exmouth were calling the tune they were unable to convert this into any points and half time arrived with the score at 7pts-3.
Clevedon kicked off the second half and Exmouth pinned them in their own half and although a couple of poor kicking options allowed the visitors into the Cockles half they were unable to create any real opportunities. With the light fading and rain threatening spectators were treated to the highlight of the game with seventeen minutes of the half played. From a lineout on the ten metre line, quick ball from Gary Hooper passed through Cadywould and Sleeman and Paul Morgan, coming off his wing, sliced his way through the Clevedon defence to score. Richard Cadywould missed the conversion and five minutes later the tricky wind sent one of his penalties the same way.
Not for the first time this season the young No 10 redeemed himself within minutes when he struck a pin point drop goal to take the score to 15pts-3 and the game beyond the reach of Clevedon.The rain started to pile in from the river and the remaining fifteen minutes was a challenge for both players and spectators and the final whistle came as a welcome sound. This result means the Cockles maintain a two point cushion at the top of the League with Barnstaple now in second place with Taunton slipping to third.