Exmouth 25 - 32 Weston-super-Mare

Exmouth stepped up a league this season and after a shaky start have shown that they are able to compete in South West One but with the visit of Weston on Saturday for the final game they were reminded that mistakes at this level will be punished. They let the game slip away in the first half and although they came to within a point of the visitors in the last quarter Weston always seemed to have the edge. The game started lively enough with a try apiece within seven minutes of the kick off.

A try by second row Ashley Russell put Weston ahead within three minutes but Adam Garner, playing an unaccustomed role at 10, responded with a try for Exmouth which Richard Cadywould converted. Weston came back strongly and Russell bagged his second try five minutes later and with James McKay slotting over the conversion they took the lead at 12pts-7. As the game moved into the second quarter a break by Cockle centre Tom Elliott looked promising but a knock on handed the initiative back to the visitors. His opposite number latched on to the ball, his kick ahead was not fielded by Exmouth and Daryl Sanft scored the simplest of tries, McKay converting.

Cadywould clawed back three points right on half time but Weston had the upper hand 19pts-10.
With seven minutes of the second half played, turn over ball led to Weston’s fourth try scored by No 8 Dan Fry. McKay converted and at 26pts-10 the scoreline was beginning to look terminal for Exmouth but over the next twenty minutes they had their best spell of the match. Richard Cadywould kicked a penalty immediately after the Weston try and when five minutes later a Ben Boswell try, converted by Cadywould took the score to 26pts-20 the fight back was really on.

Exmouth kept up the pressure and Jack Downie finally got the reward with a nicely worked try taking the Cockles to within a point of the visitors. Richard Cadywould missed the conversion but with ten minutes left to play it looked possible that an unlikely Exmouth win was on the cards. Try as hard as they did they could not break down the Weston defence and finally two McKay penalties put paid to any thoughts of an Exmouth win.

 
This completed the current League season and with changes in place for next season the Cockles will move into a new National League structure which bodes well for more good rugby at the Imperial Ground.