Liskeard experience punishes spirited Bodmin

Saturday saw the final of the CRFU National Cup Qualification take place at Liskeard's Lux Park. Liskeard, just relegated to Cornwall One and Bodmin just promoted to the same league provided an enthralling game for the large home and away support.

With the winner progressing through to the first round of the prestigious National Cup the game began at a frantic pace, Liskeard forcing their visitors onto the back foot and ultimately into committing a penalty for hands in the ruck. Liskeard fly half James Noel-Johnson kicking for posts and giving the home side an early 3 point advantage.

Bodmin however struck back right from the kick off as some impressive defensive pressure resulted in Liskeard conceding a penalty themselves. Winger Alistair MacPhee stepping up to convert and bring the scores level.

Liskeard, playing an impressive kicking and territory game looked to use their driving maul as often as possible and it would be this weapon that reaped the rewards of a first try for the Lux Park side. A penalty kicked to the corner gave the platform to attack Bodmin and with the visitors unable to do more than slow down the maul prop Mike Mander dotted down. The conversion was missed taking the score out to 8-3.

Bodmin finally managed to string some phases together and were rewarded with a penalty following a Liskeard infringement. Opting for posts, MacPhee's direction was perfect however the kick didn't quite have the length and Liskeard breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed they did more than that as just moments later replacement centre Ben Miller converted a penalty after a Bodmin knock on was then picked up by a player in an offside position. A tight and often frantic first half came to an end with Liskeard holding an 11-3 advantage.

Bodmin came out for the second forty minutes firing and attempting to raise the pace of the game at every opportunity. The tactic was paying dividends as Liskeard struggled to keep pace and the visitors started to create gaps and work their way in behind their oppositions defence. A quickly taken tap penalty had the Liskeard defence scrambling and some neat offloads resulted in winger Paul Carter feeding Lee Taylor to go over the whitewash and narrow the deficit to just 3 points. The subsequent conversion was pushed wide of the uprights.

Bodmin, growing in confidence continued to cause Liskeard problems, however a clever cross field kick bounced cruelly away from Bodmin replacement Martin Middlewood and fortuitously into the hands of Liskeard's Ben Kitto to see the winger cross in the corner. Noel-Johnson added the conversion from wide out.

With Bodmin needing two scores to take the lead they began to chase the game in attack and force turnovers in defence. This lead to an increased number of penalties from the Clifden Park side, two of which effectively sealed the fate of the game. Firstly Noel-Johnson converted a penalty kick from in front of the posts and secondly Carter was sent to the sin bin after a team warning had been issued and one too many penalties had been conceded for the referee's liking.

Bodmin refused to give up though and continued for throw everything they had at Liskeard. A superb break from centre Andrew Coad came so close to reducing the deficit in the final ten minutes only for the ball to be dislodged on the try line.

Bodmin, a man light, were then exposed as Liskeard broke from a scrum in their own 22 to use the overlap and kick down field. Liskeard winger Brad Burchell hacked on and then won the foot race to touch down just besides the posts. Noel-Johnson added the extras to leave the final score at 28-8 and see Liskeard progress to the National Cup first round.

Bodmin will be keen to learn the lessons of Saturday as they begin their return to Cornwall One this weekend with a trip to Helston in the opening round of league fixtures. Kick off at 3pm.

Team: A Trevarthen, Williams, G Taylor, Wheten, Thomas, Orton, Wendon, L Taylor (c), Armstrong, M Trevarthen, Carter, Cunniffe, Coad, MacPhee, Pooley.

Replacements: Couldrey, Hicks, Day, Middlewood, Hawken

Tries: L Taylor
Penalty: MacPhee