Displaying a hitherto unsuspected turn of speed, second row Matt Handford, returning to the side after several weeks absence, burst from a maul on four minutes and covered the twenty five metres to the line for his maiden try. He obviously enjoyed the experience so much he repeated the episode fifteen minutes later and centre Adam Pearce converted both and slotted a penalty around the half hour giving Cullompton 17 points at the break

In reply the St Austell fullback, dangerous Dan Pearce, obliged by a Cully clearance kick dropping into his arms, opened up the defence with a trade mark run, putting through centre Callum Wilson for the try, before compensating his side for a missed conversion by bagging a penalty making the home tally 8 points.

A minute into the second half Cully consolidated their lead when full back Marcus Busch, making his first appearance this season, made a telling break into St Austell territory and slipped the ball to a player who could pass as his younger brother, winger Fionn Wright. Wright took play into the opposition twenty two, drew the defenders and returned the ball to Busch who dotted down to complete an accomplished piece of teamwork between the two players. Left footed Pearce, kicking from the left touchline was unfortunate to see his conversion attempt slide across the front of the goal for a narrow miss.

Cullompton disappeared over the horizon on fifty five minutes when yet another Cully maul trundled towards the St Austell line giving that most industrious and deserving of flankers, Alex Ford, the try which Pearce had no trouble in converting from the right touchline, the ball curving in to bisect the uprights for 8-29
In the final quarter those intangible yet very real factors of spirit and determination came into play and Cullompton who up to this point had spent much time in the opposing half courtesy of a dominant scrum and some good kicking out of hand by flyhalf Alex Brooks, were penned in behind their own ten with the strong St Austell backs containing any attempted breakouts.

On sixty minutes Dangerous Dan initiated a home try when he broke away but was caught and held by winger Paul Baker giving away the penalty which was kicked for a lineout. The ball emerged from an attempted maul and St Austell captain, hooker Miles Davey, danced through the last ten metres for a well taken try converted by the fullback for 15-29 and a glimmer of hope for the home side.

St Austell then threw everything at Cully who defended heroically but eventually lost tight head prop Marcus Roberts to the bin but even down to a seven man scrum still managed to hold in the numerous five metre set pieces. A St Austell breakthrough on seventy one minutes looked certain when a desperate clearance again dropped for Dangerous Dan who was streaking forward to the opposite corner when Cully’s last line of defence, centre Josh Barratt, took him at full pace with a text book tackle; certainly the tackle of the match and the best technical execution of the game drawing a roar of admiration from the travelling supporters.

This was a watershed with desperation levels moving from Cully defenders to the Saints attackers as the seconds ticked away and the time remaining made the double score less and less likely. Cullompton survived by touching down a St Austell chip to their in goal area and holding up one of their players who had crossed the line and knew they had weathered the storm when Roberts came back on to participate in a lineout which took place in the Saints half; the first time they had been there for over twenty minutes courtesy of a chip and run by second row Josh Mammola who had cheekily regained the ball from a botched lineout
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This was a much needed five point win which lifted Cully off the bottom of the table, by a team who drew confidence from the second half of their game with Cleve the previous week and fanned the embers into flame at Tregorrick Park. The win was based on the performance of Cullompton’s lightish pack albeit reinforced this week by Roberts and the hand of Oz would seem to be apparent in the mauls, never a Cully strong point, three of which were directly responsible for tries.

This was the replay of a game that was abandoned when the referee was injured and a certain degree of sympathy must go to St Austell who saw their 12-3 start lost. They could not field the same side this time and lost at home with a performance that was good enough to have earned them a losing bonus point. Cully spectators who enjoyed generous and warm hospitality, felt to a man that St Austell, like their own side, are too good to be in the relegation zone and hope that they will journey again to Tregorrick Park next season.

This should not detract however from Cully’s away win at a club who recently beat Camborne and should build confidence for the home game at Staffford Park this Saturday against Clevedon, a side fresh from a win over league leaders Cleve.