PENRYN narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot in the Intermediate Cup and a chance of playing at Twickenham in the final as they were edged out by Okehampton in the quarter finals.

It was a resolute display from the travelling Borough team who were keen to make amends for a 26-0 defeat at the same ground earlier in the season, but ultimately it was in vain.

The infamous Okehampton pitch made conditions tough for both sides, with a bog like glue pot of a playing surface already adding to the significant disadvantage of the hefty slope in Devon.

Penryn were left quite literally stuck in the mud from the first scrum of the game, as home team player-coach Gareth Evans coasted in untouched after the visitor’s defence were trapped in the thick mud.

Full-back Gary Sizmur added the extras.

After their one-sided affair before Christmas against the Oaks, Penryn would have been fearing the worst, but were a different side on this occasion.

Their large pack carried well into opposing territory and were eventually awarded with a penalty which James Salisbury kicked to reduce the gap.

As Borough looked primed to gain the lead, the home side struck again, this time in the shape of prop Nicky Martin after the Oaks formed a maul close to the line.

Sizmur again converted and Penryn slipped further behind.

With the home side playing into their favoured territory in the first stanza, a 14-3 half time deficit was far from disastrous for a Borough side that had been well in the game and it got even better just before the break.

More strong and direct play from the Penryn forwards, yielded a try for Grant Randlesome from close range and despite Salisbury’s failure to add the extras, the tie was finely poised at 14-8 going into the second half.

Penryn started the second 40 with a spring in their step and always looked the more likely of the two sides, especially now as they had the advantage of playing down the sloped pitch.

They spurned a shot at goal however, opting for a kick to the corner, but just could not get over the line as the home team defended their line superbly.

It was going to take an error or an inspired piece of play to swing this close cup tie and Penryn looked to have done the latter mid-way through the half.

Quick thinking from hooker Dan Booth and prop Matt Williams saw the two exchange a neat one-two with a shortened line-out at the front, with Booth showing a combination of pace and power to crash over the line.

In difficult conditions for the kickers, Salisbury narrowly missed, but Penryn now only trailed by a solitary point.

The home side, who had looked in control at 14-3 now looked nervous, with all the momentum clearly with the Borough.

Evans was sent to the bin for an off the ball challenge and Penryn would play the final ten minutes of the game with an extra man as they went for the kill.

Borough huffed and puffed, but could not find the points that would give them a huge win on the road, getting on the wrong side of some tough calls in the closing stages.

When the home side broke from deep and set up a final converted try, the cup dream was over for the Cornish side, but Penryn will take a lot of heart from an excellent away performance in what was a real contest.

They travel to local rivals Truro this Saturday, for the much anticipated Cornish derby.

PENRYN: 15 Creeden, 14 Chambers, 13 Vague, 12 Seviour, 11 Willey, 10 Salisbury, 9 Strick; 1 Oldfield, 2 Booth, 3 Williams, 4 Hancock, 5 Trevaskis, 6 Jones (c), 7 Hoban, 8 Randlesome.

REPS: Hinchley, Woodside, Paine, Fields.

TRIES: Randlesome, Booth.

PEN: Salisbury.