Penryn 37, Bideford 19

Penryn secured a second consecutive home maximum, impressively seeing off the challenge of Bideford to climb the table in Western Counties West.

Penryn are a tough proposition at home, having secured all of their league points to date at the Memorial Ground, and they would respond to last weekend's disappointment at Wellington with a third bonus-point victory of the season.

Bideford arrived in Cornwall flying high in the table and made the best possible start when they took a seven-point lead thanks to an early converted try. The Borough have a tendency to respond to setbacks and this was no different. Sam Carter put the hosts into the lead, first with an unconverted try followed by a penalty and there was to be no looking back from there.

Penryn handed out two debuts and with winger Pete Mabbott also impressing, it was the sizeable frame of tight head prop Mishka Fibbens who crashed over to extend the Penryn lead. Carter converted for 15-7.

Penryn were looking good heading into the break ahead by more than a score, but things would get even better before the referee's whistle. Good work from Mabbott in the build up gave Sam Hitchens enough space to stroll over and in the blink of an eye with Carter’s conversion, Penryn had put themselves into a 22-7 lead.

While 15-point leads can swiftly be wiped out in rugby, the Borough were in no mood to give the visitors a lifeline. Carter added another penalty to extend the home lead to 18 and it started to look like a long way back for Bideford. Any lingering hopes of a comeback were soon extinguished, when Hitchens notched his second try of the afternoon to cap a Man of the Match display and secure the try bonus point.

There were a few nervous glances when two quickfire tries for the visitors reduced the arrears and made it 30-19, but they were to be no more than a consolation. Penryn put gloss on a fine day through a Steele Barker try and with Carter completing a personal 17-point haul it confirmed a convincing home victory.

Arguably the result and performance of the season so far from the Borough, who will be hoping to notch a first away victory at Chard this Saturday.

Penryn: Levick, Mabbott, Hitchens, Seviour, Salisbury, Thirlby, Carter, Pattison, Rush, Fibbens, Barker, Hughes, Hellier, Jones, Randlesome. Reps: Burley, Nelson, Preston.