CORNISH REBELS 42

DEVON SHARKS 36

The Cornish Rebels have made history by becoming the first Cornish club to lift the South West Cup after beating Devon Sharks at Polson Bridge on Saturday.

But it was a close run thing, with the game forced into extra time after the sides battled their way to a stalemate following 80 minutes of play in stifling heat.

The Sharks took the lead in the eighth minute when prop Russ Morris went over, and extended their lead when Ash Ansermoz converted.

But the Rebels hit back in some style with three tries in six minutes to stun the Sharks and pull ahead.

Rebels captian Kyle Beasley scored the first, and was on hand to set up Grant Thirlby for the second after he burst through the Sharks' defence.

Aaron Hunt skipped over for the third, and Thirlby converted to make it 16-6.

Penryn's Alex Ducker seized on some wayward passing from the Devon side to snatch possession and race the length of the pitch for the Rebels' fourth try of the game, before the Sharks composed themselves and ran in a brace of their own courtesy of Jacob Stirling and Jake Knapman.

And the Sharks came out strongly after the break, with Knapman and teammate Joe Briggs both scoring to leave the game poised on a knife edge.

A head injury to Beasely prompted a delay in the action as the teams left the field while an ambulance was called. The Rebels captain was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, but was later given the all clear.

The restart saw Morris and Cartwirght score another two tries for the Sharks, who looked to be heading for victory until James Floyd's late try for the Rebels took the game into extra time.

Matt Hodgson put the Sharks back into the lead, but Ashley Lawton's converted try, followed by two well-taken kicks from Grant Thirlby secured a historic win for the Cornish side in its inaugural year.

REBELS: Floyd, Ducker, Williams, Hunt, Bristow, Pellow, Thirlby; Pattison, Jones, Lawrence, Lawton, Middlewood, Beasley (c)

Reps: M.Williams, Cook, Marshall, Plunkett