Redruth 20, Bury St. Edmunds 20

High drama at Redruth as the home side came from behind to snatch a draw in the eighteenth minute of time added on thanks to a try and conversion from fly-half Richie Kevern, writes Bill Hooper.

With the visitors down to twelve men and uncontested scrums Redruth were forced to move the ball wide with Kevern slicing through the cover to score under the posts and convert his own try to save the blushes of his side.

Understandably Bury St Edmunds were left frustrated with handbags between the players when Kevern scored.

A strong easterly wind dictated play throughout with Redruth having first advantage. They went ahead with a penalty kicked by full-back Aaron Simmonds.

Bury took the lead with a well-worked unconverted try from full-back Cameron Ritchie as the visitors upped their game.

A second Simmonds’ penalty put Redruth back in the lead as Bury suffered the first of their four yellow cards.

Fly-half Nick Perez kicked a fine penalty in the conditions to re-gain the advantage for Bury before the Redruth pack set up a huge drive off a lineout to shunt skipper Richard Brown over, Simmonds kicked a wonderful conversion from wide out with the wind pulling the ball through the sticks at the last.

Bury took a firm grip on the game at the beginning of the second half as the home side fell foul of the referee. Giant lock Will Scholes got their second try from another powerful drive to tie the scores.

Bury used the wind well to set up good field position to work a third try scored by wing Finlay Sharp with Perez adding the extras.

Redruth pressure finally told as Bury shed three players to the sin-bin in five minutes leading to uncontested scrums, Redruth were forced to move the ball wide allowing Kevern to score under the posts.

The final whistle was greeted with relief from the home faithful as Redruth brought a run of three defeats to an end.

Redruth: A Simmonds (R Coote 59), T Notman, J Simmons, C Gilbert, D Bonds, R Kevern, J Oulton; L Kivalu (J Tompsett 61), R Brown (Capt) (M Gidlow 59), C Williams, E Pascoe, J Heazelton, M Grubb, S Stevens (L Hattam 68), B Howe (B Fox 39).

Redruth: Tries - Brown, Kevern. Cons - Simmonds, Kevern. Pens - Simmonds 2.

Bury St. Edmunds: C Ritchie (G Magrini 74) (D Coutts 79), F Sharp, M Kohler (W Affleck 39), B Leng, F Catuogno, N Perez, J Hasenlechner; P Robinson (T Hill 72), J Argerich, B Cooper (Coutts 41) (B Cooper 72), M Graham, W Scholes (G Magrini 58-68), J Coombes (A Grey 41), O Watson, T Uru.

Bury St Edmunds: Tries - Ritchie, Scholes, Sharp. Con - Perez. Pen - Perez.

Referee: Andy Wigley (RFU)

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