Exmouth 19 - 7 Yatton

Following last weeks Cup weekend it was back to League duty on Saturday when the Cockles entertained North Somerset side Yatton at the Imperial ground. Exmouth were a bit confident about this one having scored over fifty points when they played Yatton early in the season but nothing can be taken for granted in this League. The game was important for both sides with League leaders Exmouth needing the points to hold off the challenge of chasers Taunton, three points behind, and Barnstaple trailing by four. Yatton are at the other end of the table, close to the relegation zone, with St Mary’s Old Boys snapping at their heels. The Old Boys were playing Taunton at Bradley Stoke and the outcome of that game could have a major influence on the League title.

With Exmouth beating Yatton they did their bit but when the result came through that St Mary’s had beaten Taunton it was a double whammy for both the Cockles and Yatton. For Exmouth victory and a return to a four points cushion but with Barnstaple now the first chaser; for Yatton defeat and St Mary’s closing the gap to two points with a game in hand. As for promotion Exmouth still need three wins from the remaining four games to give them automatic promotion. They would not want it to go to points difference; they have shipped more points than both Barnstaple and Taunton and have scored fewer points.

As for the Yatton game it was a pretty lacklustre affair and although it started well for the Cockles there were periods of the game that were less than memorable. From the kick off Exmouth camped in the visitors half and after five minutes Richard Cadywould could have put his side ahead but his penalty shot was just wide of the target. He was on song minutes later when Dale Sleeman touched down following a break by skipper Mark Wathes. Five minutes later Exmouth went further ahead when a scrum on the Yatton five metre line produced quick ball and Jack Downie obliged with the touch down. Richard Cadywould missed the conversion but with only fifteen minutes on the clock and twelve points up, the Cockles looked set to build on their score.  This did not happen as Yatton came back into the game and although they did not threaten they contained Exmouth until half time without any further scores.

The game resumed after the interval with Exmouth playing in the visitors half and with eight minutes played Richard Cadywould picked up a clever kick through by Dale Sleeman and he scored close in. He converted his own try and with the score at 19pts-nil the Cockles again looked in a position to increase their points tally. Not for the first time they lost a bit of concentration and within minutes Anthony Harris posted Yatton’s only points when he chased down a kick through to score. Tony Hill converted and this put Yatton on the front foot for most of the last quarter but they did not have the firepower to put any real pressure on the Exmouth line.

With ten minutes to go to the final whistle, a Yatton scrum, ten metres from the Exmouth line, was turned over and this was the last opportunity they had to close the 19pts-7 scoreline.

The title race resumes in earnest this weekend when the Cockles travel to third placed Taunton and second placed Barnstaple visit Brixham who are out of the promotion race but who showed their pedigree a few weeks ago when they gave the Cockles a bit of a tanning.