The Okes rounded off a superb weekend for the club in some style as they put in a clinical performance to see off visitors Bideford. the perfect follow up to the second team superb win at Barnstaple on Saturday which wrapped up their first ever Devon Merit table one title.

On a dry but windy afternoon, the hosts began up the slope playing into the strong breeze. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their enforced two week break, the home side were a little sluggish in the initial stages, the visitor's sizable pack gaining an early upper hand, particularly at both forms of set piece. The match was still in its infancy when the Torridgesiders took an early lead after a try set up and finished by their forwards. After gaining a lineout on the Okehampton twenty two, the visitors set up a catch and drive that took play close to the Oke's tryline. Number eight, and ex Okehampton player Dean Folland eventually barged his way over under the bar to give Biddy the lead.Full Back Chris Snell added the conversion and the Okes were seven points down.

Okes began to secure some ball and their backline was soon asking questions of their opposite numbers. A couple of promising forays were forced into touch, and a penalty chance was missed before the home side put their first points on the board. Just before the quarter hour mark Bideford were caught offside and Richie Friend made no mistake to reduce the arrears. Possession and territory were now fairly even as the Okes started to warm to the task. After 25 minutes good home play forced another penalty at the breakdown and Richie Friend was once more on target to make it a one point ball game.

Just as it looked like the Okes would push on Biddy responded. The Somerset ref pinged the Okes for in at the side on the half hour mark and Snell landed the straightforward penalty chance. The visitors then had one of their best spells of the match and went through over twenty phases to stretch the home defence sufficiently to eek out another three point penalty chance. This time Snell struck the upright, but the ball rebounded between the uprights to restore the visitor's lead to seven points with five minutes of a competitive first half remaining. At this point a tight encounter seemed likely, but the Oke backline then imposed themselves on the match as The Okes began to find some real form. kevin Dennis, playing on the left wing, began to find holes popping up in midfield and the Okes started to get in behind the visitor's defence. Via one such foray on 38 minutes the ball was recycled and the Okes went coast to coast as the ball was shipped back to the right hand side, where Gareth Espin put Luke Honeychurch over on the overlap in front of a delighted clubhouse corner. The conversion was snatched left, but the Biddy wide defence was being stretched consistently and the Okes would soon take the lead for the first time.

Right on the interval the Okes produced a superb passage of play to bag their second try. Deft handling , sharp running lines and intelligent support began with a trademark Tom Mcgrattan surge in the thirteen channel, supplemented by sympathetic hands from full back Espin which put Kevin Dennis over for a beaut of a score right on the cusp on the interval. The kick again headed left of the uprights , but it was a great time to score a great try, and the Okes took a 16-13 advantage into the second forty.

The wind and slope were now the Oke's allies whilst the set scrum also began to turn in the hosts favour. Early signs were good as more crisp offloads and incisive running caused problems for the Red and White's defensive structures. Okes soon gained a five meter scrum in the bottom left corner, and the visitors lost a prop to the bin after a couple of collapsed pushover efforts. At the third attempt the scrum wheeled a slither to the left as it advanced; Oke scrum half Joey Bruce was alert to the opportunity and he snuck over on the blindside for the host's third score after 47 minutes. The tricky conversion was offline, but with an eight point lead the Okes were in the ascendancy.

Bideford were still securing sufficient ball but their backline lacked a cutting edge, while their forward based fringe punching tactics failed to over trouble the home defence. They visitors did gain a penalty chance which Snell pulled wide after a spell of pressure, but it was the Okes who would again strike next. As the match approached the last quarter more fine interplay from the home side took play into Biddy's red zone. As the ball was moved right after several phases, stand off Dan Foggarty saw a gap and used his quick feet to step in and out to fox the visitor's defence and cross just right of the posts, bringing the Oke's fourth try and to virtually seal the victory. This time Richie Friend added the simple extra two and Bideford now needed to score three times to remain in the hunt for silverware.

Okes rotated off the seven man bench once more, and it took plenty of fine forceful home defence to keep out a determined Biddy side as the visitors monopolised possession for long periods during the last quarter. Replacement Gary Sizmur saw yellow for a high tackle as the pressure ramped up, but the Okes reuse to buckle as their stout resolve repelled all threats. Camped on their line the Okes held up the Biddy pack over the whitewash, and when the ball was moved wide the backs were consistently up quickly to regain defensive momentum. As time ebbed away the play was still in the Oke twenty two when more defensive pressure forced a loose pass that was pounced upon by home captain Tom Mcgrattan. The number eight opened his legs and scorched away from the covering defence to cruise in under the uprights, to put the finishing gloss on a strong home performance. After Mcgrattan drop kicked the conversion the final whistle blew and the Okes had booked a trip to Brixham in a fortnights time.

After a shaky start this was an ultimately convincing victory and one that sets the season up for an exciting finale, firstly away at Clevedon next Saturday, followed by the cup final at Astley Park on the 29th April at 2.30. It will be a big ask against last year's runners up and a side long established at the top end of the league above. The Okes will travel as underdogs and your support would help to make the day an unforgettable one for the club....see you there!

Okehampton RFC

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