Barum beaten by Brixham in rugby classic

The game of last Saturday, and possibly of the season in local rugby, must have been at Astley Park, where Brixham snatched a 39-38 victory over Regional One leaders Barnstaple in the dying seconds of a pulsating contest.

Barum led a see-saw battle 38-34 after a try and a penalty in the closing stages.

But they were penned in their own corner when the referee awarded three penalties to Brixham in quick succession, also sending a Barum player to the ‘bin’, and the Fishermen won it when replacement Connor Doneathy scooped a loose ball off the ground and plunged over.

It stopped Barnstaple from earning a fifth successive win, and Chew Valley’s 44-12 home win over St Austell took them back to the top of the table.

But, if Barum needed any incentive to bounce back immediately, they couldn’t have asked for a bigger chance this Saturday – it’s Chew Valley at Pottington Road.

Okehampton could not threaten Devonport Services at the Rectory Field, losing 7-48 in Plymouth. The top of the table reads: Chew Valley 47, Barnstaple 46, Devonport Services 45, Launceston 39, Brixham 37.

Tiverton have turned their Tribute South West Counties One promotion hopes into serious prospects on the back of a storming run of seven successive victories, and they were at it again with a 46-0 win at Falmouth at the weekend.

In-form winger Ben Bingham ran in five tries and kicked three conversions in a 31-point Player of the Match show on a day when both the top-two, Plymstock Albion Oaks and Kingsbridge, lost.

PAO went down 12-19 at St Ives and Kingsbridge slipped up at home to improving Tavistock 39-41. Tiverton, incidentally, have scored 278 points in their current hot streak.

The top of the Western West Division now reads: PAO 49pts, Tiverton 44, Kingsbridge 44, Tavistock 42, St Ives 39 and Paignton, who have a home game in hand against struggling Wiveliscombe, 37.

No wonder Tivvy fans are relishing this Saturday’s game against Kingsbridge at Bolham Road.

Sidmouth maintained their six-point lead at the top of Regional Two when they thumped Wellington 50-0, but there’s still a right old logjam behind them.

Topsham beat lowly Newton Abbot (88-47) away, while Crediton overtook promotion rivals Wadebridge Camels with an important 38-19 win at Blagdon.

Sidmouth have 52pts, Topsham and Crediton both 46, Camels 44, North Petherton 41 and Cullompton 39.

Last week’s rain put paid to several scheduled matches.

Other results: Cos Two Devon – Barnstaple 2nds w/o Ivybridge 2nds, North Tawton 20 Devonport Services 2nds 24; Cos Three NE – Teignmouth 2nds 10 Sidmouth 2nds 10.

This Saturday’s local league fixtures: Reg One – Barnstaple v Chew Valley, Okehampton v Exmouth; Reg Two – Burnham-on-Sea v Crediton, Topsham v North Petherton, Wadebridge Camels v Cullompton, Teignmouth v Sidmouth; Cos One WW – Tavistock v Paignton, Tiverton v Kingsbridge, Bideford v Falmouth; Cos Two Devon – Torquay Athletic v Honiton, Exmouth II v North Tawton, South Molton v Barnstaple II, Withycombe v Plymouth Argaum, Ivybridge II v Exeter Saracens; Cos Three NE – Cullompton II v Tiverton II, New Cross v Exeter Athletic, Newton Abbot II v Okehampton II, Sidmouth II v Topsham II, Teignmouth II v Torrington; Paignton II v Tavistock II.