Double Derby Delight for Withy

Withy take charge at Raleigh Park to take the win

Withy take charge at Raleigh Park to take the win

Withycombe competed the derby double on Saturday as Exmouth Quins made the short journey up the road to Raleigh Park.

With the teams being welcomed to the field by members of the Withy Under 6s and 7s players, the scene was set. It wasn’t long before Withy made an impact when Joe Blyth crossed the whitewash for his seventh try in as many games. The ensuing conversion was successfully kicked by Tom Cooke and the boys were 7-0 up. Cooke extended the lead a little later through a penalty kick, bringing the score to 10-0 as the first quarter of the game drew to a close.

Exmouth responded well to Withy’s strong start, setting up camp inside their opponents’ 22’. However, the Withycombe defensive wall stood strong, with big tackles halting the Quins’ advances and forcing the errors in the slippery conditions. The scrums proved to be a powerful weapon for Withy, too and a series of penalties against the head would allow safe passage out of the danger zone and up the field for an opportunity to spend some time in attack in a more promising position.

With a dominant string of attack coming via the scrums, it wouldn’t be long before Withies would be rewarded. A scrum 5m out was the perfect opportunity and with the marching Withy pack making headway at the line, Man of the Match Luke Pattison broke free and scored; with the conversion, the score was now 17-0 after 31 minutes – a score which remained until the half time whistle.

With the morning’s rain causing conditions to be less than ideal on the pitch, handling errors were becoming increasingly common during the second half. Nevertheless, Withy continued their pursuit of more points and once again made tracks for the Exmouth 22’. Tom Cooke was close to adding a third try as a well placed grubber kick beat the defenders, creating the space ahead of the try line. Cue the greasy ball and an unfortunately timed knock-on to deny the score!

As the second half progressed, Withy further gained the upper hand in the encounter as fatigue began to creep in for the visitors. The sticky pitch very much favoured the forwards and the Withy pack were enjoying themselves, making some good ground from periods of set play.

Inevitably, the tiredness set in for both sides to level out the game in the final quarter. Both sides were able to make some decent progress during their attacking phases. A series of Exmouth penalties late in the game allowed them to take control of the closing stages; and with George Doughty being sent to the sin bin as a result of the number of penalties, Exmouth had the perfect opportunity to take something from the game. They continued to apply pressure inside the Withy red zone. The defenders did their job well and forced the errors by the Quins as they desperately looked for a score. With just two minutes remaining, the wall was finally broken and Exmouth snuck in for their try.

The final score: Withycombe 17, Exmouth Quins 7.

A top game and another cracking derby win for Withycombe, giving them a well-earned derby double for the season. The town remains green and black for another year!

There’s a week off for the boys this coming weekend but they return to action in a fortnight as they head up the A30 to play Honiton at Allhallows Playing Fields on the 1st March.