AN excellent second-half display from Penryn saw them comeback from 14-0 down to snatch a dramatic victory away at Okehampton to stay top of the Cornwall and Devon League.

In the early part of the match it was Okehampton who proved more potent. After a minute they narrowly missed an attempt at a penalty goal and after only six minutes were awarded a penalty try when Penryn infringed close to their line. The try was converted by Oke’s fly half Gary Sizmur.

As the first quarter progressed Penryn began to come back in to the game, but received another setback when Sizmur intercepted a pass and ran from the halfway to score under the posts. He had no difficulty in converting his own try to give the home side a 14-point lead at half time.

Up until this time Okehampton had looked the better side, and it had looked as though The Borough were in for their second defeat in two weeks. But the team spirit showed and the visitors were a very different team in the second half. One minute into the half and the threes combined to give Darren Pellow a try.

Five minutes later another excellent three-quarter move and Chris Mann crossed in the corner after sustained pressure by the forwards, who were working extremely hard and a were now getting on top of their adversaries. Both conversion attempts failed, but both tries were scored as a result of good moves by the backs after the forwards had driven the Oke’s pack back. That the threes were able to dominate was due to the surperb play of the forwards, for of whom are under-21. As the contest entered its final ten minutes Okehampton’s four point lead remained the same. But Penryn’s determination showed, and in the 73rd minute Chris Mann scored his second try of the afternoon.

The conversion attempt failed again but The Borough were ahead, although only by one point, for the first time. The tension at this point was remarkable, with all of the players knowing that an error, however small, could affect the result. Okehampton continued to defend admirably, but the visitors’ nerve held out. They continued to dominate the forward play, with play rarely getting out of the home side’s half.

Okehampton officials were loud in their praise of Penryn, with at least one congratulating the visitors in their fine performance. An Okehampton win would have been rough justice given the aggression with which the visitors played throughout the second half.

One of the endearing charms of rugby union is that it still manages to throw up clashes of styles. That was the case during that tense last thirty minutes last Saturday. Penryn threw every thing at Okehampton, who were intent on starving Penryn of possession, whilst The Borough engineered some superb threes moves, and played open attractive rugby. But it must not be forgotten that possession only stems from good forward play.

The Borough pack, with young Ethan Pattinson playing his first senior game at tight head, were superb. They were up against a heavier, probably more experienced eight, but they gave their all, and gradually got on top of their opponents. It was indeed a fine all round performance by every member of the squad.

After losing at Bideford last week, Penryn had labelled this match as a ‘must win’ game and the victory leaves them four points ahead of Truro and Tavistock and six points ahead of Okehampton and Crediton, although Okes have two games in hand whilst Crediton have one. But these two sides have to play each other in a re-arranged fixture on February 07.

The Borough still have a lot to do, and they will want to produce Saturday’s performance week in and week out, but with seven games to go it is beginning to look as though the Club will be returning to a Western Counties West league consisting of 14 teams.