CAMBORNE RETAIN THEIR COUNTY CROWN, WHILST LISKEARD-LOOE TAKE CLUBS CUP

CAMBORNE 24 –10 ST. AUSTELL

Camborne retained the Tribute Cornwall Knock Out Cup with in the end a convincing win over a brave St. Austell side who found the driving of the Cherry and Whites’ pack too much as the conditions at Redruth deteriorated during the second half.

For St .Austell it was a third loss in a county cup final and a second in three years having lost to Wadebridge Camels in 2012 and before that Camborne back in 1978.

After the game Saints skipper Matt Shepherd was clearly disappointed but acknowledged that the better team had won on the day. “We are very disappointed the weather conspired against us as the wet conditions suited Camborne’s game. I was pleased with our start as we are normally slow starters, we didn’t make the most of our early domination and then Camborne got back on level terms before half-time, we knew then it would be an uphill task.

For the cup winners man-of-the-match George Hall was pleased with his own performance as well as his side’s. “It was a good match, we expected a hard match and we got that they are a physical team. We had to match them up front to get on the front foot and we managed that. This is up there with our Boxing Day win over the Reds and a great way to round off our season.

Camborne skipper Steve Kenward was equally delighted having received the cup from CRFU President Ken Plummer. “Hats off to our forwards who really laid the platform for our win the boys did really well especially during the second half.

“I won the toss and elected to play into the wind, I knew that if we were within touching distance at half-time we could use the conditions to our favour second half. We arrived at half-time at 10 all so I was pretty happy, Joel Matavesi kicked very well to put us in good field position and then the pack did the business.”

It all began so brightly for St. Austell they began the game with the greater intensity and were rewarded with a try after just 14 minutes scored by winger Ashley Taylor following good work from prop Hugh Noot up in the scoreboard corner. Scrum-half Matt Shepherd kicked a fine conversion for a 7-0 lead.

The lead stretched to 10 points when Shepherd added a penalty shortly after.

Sadly for the Saints the game soon began to unravel as did the weather. Hooker Miles Davey was sin-binned as Camborne at last began to get a foot-hold in the game.

Camborne began to counter the threat of Shepherd and the Saints back three of Dan Pearce, Ben Chenoweth and Taylor, with some formidable work from their back row of Dave Roberts, Cameron Bone and man-of-the-match George Hall, whilst player coach John Griffiths showed his experience as the conditions began to worsen.

Good work from fly-half Richie Kevern and prop Leigh Hocking saw Bone go over for the Cherry and Whites’ first try on the half-hour mark.
Then Hall scooted in at the Piggy Lane corner to tie the scores with a second un-converted try just prior to half-time.

With the mist and drizzle swirling round the ground Camborne kept the ball tight in the second half with Mankee and Joel Matavesi kicking the Cherry and Whites into field position. The Camborne pack resorted to the pick and go which served them up three penalties, which Mankee converted to put them in a commanding position of 19-10 after 57 minutes.

The game was made safe with a third unconverted try scored by winger Rob Floyd in the scoreboard corner, 24-10.

St. Austell to their credit kept going to the end with No.8 Adam Kellow unlucky to have a try chalked off for a forward pass.

Near the end there was a minor dust up which saw Kellow and replacement scrum-half Dean Pascoe dispatched to the sin-bin, it mattered not as Camborne had their eighth Cornwall Cup safely secured.

Camborne: G Thirlby, R Floyd, L Manna, S Kenward (capt), J Matavesi, R Kevern, D Mankee (D Pascoe 67), N Endean (W Webster ht), S Bartle, L Hocking (M Hearn 67), J Griffiths (Reynolds 80+2), B Kemp, G Hall, C Bone (Woolcock 67), D Roberts.
Replacement (not used): L Chapple.

Camborne Scores: Tries – Bone, Hall, Floyd, Penalties – Mankee (3)

Yellow Card – Pascoe (80)

St Austell: D Pearce, A Taylor (S Tank 73), D Pellow (T Murley 80), A Welland, B Chenoweth (K Edwuzi 80), A Ashwin, M Shepherd (Capt), H Noott, M Davey (J Grigg , M Martin (P Rowe 80), M Vian, A Pearce, P Winterbottom (J Grigg 31-36), I Venner, A Kellow.

St. Austell Scores: Try – Taylor, Conversion – Shepherd, Penalty – Shepherd

Yellow Cards – Davey (26), Kellow (80)

Referee: Simon Lane (Devon RRS).

Crowd: 1,358

Man-of-the-match: George Hall (Camborne) a fine display from the Camborne blindside flanker, got through a lot of work over the ball at ruck time.

TRIBUTE CORNWALL CLUBS CUP FINAL
LISKEARD-LOOE 29 – 17 PERRANPORTH

Liskeard-Looe completed a league and cup double but they were made to work hard all the way by a plucky Perranporth side who took the game to the East Cornwall Lions especially during the first half before Liskeard-Looe’s fitness told and they pulled away during the second half.

The Brewers got off to a great start with a try after just 6 minutes play. A kick to the corner saw a catch-and-drive before the ball was moved wide with full-back David Rees scoring under the posts.

Prop Matt Burton slotted the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

Perranporth’s lead only lasted a few minutes as The Lions got back downfield and earned a succession of penalties which they kicked towards Hell fire corner with eventually No.8 Gareth Cooke crashing over, fly-half James Noel-Johnson slotted the conversion to tie the scores.

Perranporth almost conceded a second try when pressing in the Liskeard-Looe 22 when Lions winger Ben Kitto collected a loose ball and set off towards the Piggy lane corner, he was hauled down inches short of the line by Perranporth’s winger Charles Buscombe.

However, the Lions did get their second try shortly after when skipper Lewis Elliot made the most of a kick ahead by scrum-half Andrew Sheer, Noel-Johnson couldn’t add the extras.

Elliot then found himself in the sin-bin for pulling down a maul as Perranporth mounted the pressure. From a quick tap penalty Brewers fly-half Alex Wright darted over for their second try with Burton adding the extras and then a penalty on half-time for a well-deserved half-time lead 17-12.

Liskeard-Looe got their noses back in front when scrum-half Andrew Sheer darted over from close range though there appeared to be an element of a knock-on in the move! Noel-Johnson was once more on the money with the extras.

In the final quarter the Lions made the game safe with a further try scored by winger Kieran Underhill in the scoreboard corner which Noel-Johnson converted from the touchline and then with a penalty from the same player.

The win marked Liskeard Looe’s fourth win in the Clubs Cup in it’s various guises with a first since 2007.

After the game Stevie Arthur for Perranporth was proud of the boy’s efforts. “We came down and gave it our all, we had a big crowd that came down from Perranporth to cheer us on and I think Liskeard-Looe know they have been in a game today, it was good to play in front of big crowd today, normally we get about three and a couple of dogs at Ponsmere Valley, today Perran’s had a day out.

“All credit to them their scrum was good with a powerful catch-and-drive and line out, I felt in the loose we matched them if not edged it but without the first phase ball you are always struggling.”

For Liskeard-Looe skipper Lewis Elliot was delighted with his side’s win. “We were up against it at half-time and the wind pushed us down in that corner but at half-time just five points behind we felt we were in a good position to take it to them second half and we did that. Great to play in front of a big crowd, it’s been a great day out and to win the double this season really crowns the season.”

Liskeard-Looe: M Charlwood, K Underhill, P Regan, D Hannah, B Kitto, J Noel-Johnson, A Sheer; M Mander, T Nicholas, P Morford, M Davy, T Blake, L Elliott (Capt), J Townsend, G Cooke.

Replacements: S Patten, J McKay, T McLuckie, W Pepworth, M Porter, J Gavin.

Scores: Tries: Cooke, Elliott, Sheer, Underhill; Conversions – Noel-Johnson (3); Penalty – Noel-Johnson.

Yellow card: Liskeard-Looe: Elliott (31)

Perranporth: D Rees, C Walker, C Long, T Job, C Buscombe, A Wright, M Moncaster (Capt); M Burton, C Lampshire, P Stevenson, B Parker, D Shears, D Sheen, B Skuse, R Simmonds.

Replacements: D Bennetts, T Thipthorpe, G Beale, T Tiffin.

Perranporth: Tries: Rees, Wright; Conversions – Burton (2), Penalty – Burton.

Referee: Andy Robinson (Cornwall RRS).

Crowd: 835

Man-of-the-match: Andrew Sheer (Liskeard-Looe) Tremendous performance from the Lions’ scrum-half constant thorn in the side of Perran took his try well

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