Astley Park has never been a happy hunting ground for the maroon and ambers since the advent of league rugby. However with their hosts below them in the table and on a run of five successive defeats, hopes were high in the Oke camp of gaining a valuable first away victory.

Okes began brightly too as they gained early penalties up the slope and held sway for their first ten minutes of the match. Skipper Dan Fogerty missed an early pot at posts, and as the match approached the quarter hour mark the home side finally strung several phases together and created the game's opening score. Okes defence was too narrow on the left and home winger Crosscombe, a thorn in the Okes side for most of the afternoon, slipped through a tackle to score wide out. The conversion was added and the Okes found themselves seven points down.

Things got worse for the visitors just four minutes later when, after a missed touch from the Okes, Brixham attacked repeatedly until their out half benefited from a soft shoulder in midfield to cross mid way out on the right. This time the simpler kick was awry, but Okes needed to get a foothold to stop the fisherman gathering momentum. The Okes line out was failing to fire and possession difficult to hold onto as a result. A penalty for failing to roll away at ruck time allowed the home full back to stretch the lead to 15 points, before the maroon and ambers finally cut loose in attack. There had already been glimpses of the youthful Oke back line's potency when provided sufficient possession. A foot deemed in touch had denied the visitors the score their attacking play merited, but they weren't to be denied for long. On 32 minutes, once more it was captain Dan Fogerty who was the catalyst for the Okes first try of the afternoon. His clever chip, chase and regather in midfield set him free, a well timed pass then putting brother Tom over for a neat score under the posts. Dan added the simple two and approaching the interval the Okes were back in it.

Brixham soon lost abrasive player coach Thomas for ten minutes, after one offence too many. Brixham then missed a kickable penalty before Okes pressed again looking for a score before the break, but they were held out as the turnaround came with the margin still an eight point one.

The lights were now on as the second half commenced. The third quarter began scrappily. Both sides gave away penalties to halt any momentum, the hosts landing one to make it 18-7. Then on 54 minutes a home error proved costly. The hosts attempted to play from deep but a pass went astray in midfield Arch poacher Leon Horn was on hand to demonstrate why he has scored so regularly this campaign, as his deft footwork and pickup saw him scoot in between the uprights, to put the visitors four points behind after Dan Fogerty's easy extras.

The tense encounter entered its last quarter. Okes winger Ryan Lee saw yellow for an adjudged deliberate knock on, but the visitors continued to attack with width and were rewarded with a simple penalty in front on 66 minutes, which Fogerty laded to reduce the gap to a single point. Home nerves were increasing and the Okes seemed to be on the offensive. However a length of the pitch escape from deep by Crosscombe boosted the hosts as he was eventually held up. Okes then became passive and stretched, and the hosts took full advantage. A reverse kick to the unoccupied wing slot saw a score in the bottom left corner to extend the lead to 6 points on 72 minutes. Then the killer blow on 77 minutes as Okes were unable to repel the hosts around the fringes and they crashed over for a converted bonus point try that made it 30-17. Even a losing bonus point was now a slim hope. That was soon gone too as the Fisherman gained another kickable penalty with time up on the clock. It was landed to make the final score 33-17, one which even the home support admitted did not reflect the Okes efforts and the closeness of the encounter for long periods.

So again Okes were denied an away win in the last quarter. A blip after the Bournemouth advance, but one the Okes can learn from and look to rectify in training, as they prepare for a crucial visit of Camborne next Saturday at 2.30 PM. Home support would sure boost the boys ,so please make your way to the showground to give the young maroon and amber charges your full backing..'Come On You Okes!'

Okehampton RFC

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