Honiton were suposed to lose!

By Phil Oaten
On Saturday the Lacemen travel to Penzance for thier final league match of the season. Having lost heavily last week and playing the Pirates who sit in the top four, the task was on paper a daunting one, and realistically given that there were several players missing with econd team players drafted in to fill the gaps at the 11th hour Honiton were just meant to lose.
Add to the woes, it was a 10am leave time and the bank holiday traffic and an inevitable accident in a contra flow, Honiton arrived late and had to rush the warm ups.

With relegation out of the way, Honiton's orders from Coach Hill was to through the ball about and enjoy it. Have said that inevitably Honiton stated by having to soak up some heavy pressure from the home side who expected to win comfortably. Honiton's defence did well and they did soak up the pressure well. Honiton's cause was not helped with an early injury to Will Tyers but he was replaced by the twos star man this season Ross Oaten.
Honiton rallied well and a well placed kick out of defense from the Ollie the "Cheeseman" and from the ensuing line out Honiton nicked the ball and shipped it wide and making their first proper attack, Oaten kicked ahead gathered it again to run in under the posts. Ollie Cave add the extras and against the run of play Honiton were surprisingly 7 up!

Pirates slighty rattled after all their hard work had been undone, got back in the saddle and they bounced back with a well worked play to the corner and a score that was not converted. Honiton by now had realised they were not just here to make up the numbers and they started to get some control. The scrums looked good and with Joe Briggs playing well as the blindside Honiton got a foot hold in the game. Young Angus Meadows was playing well as the 9 and was delivering good ball to the backs but it was the Pirates who got the next score, capitalizing on a dropped ball by Honiton, they touched down for a conveyed try. Honiton redressed the balance with a long rang penalty kick from Cave and the half finished with Honiton just 2 points behind at 12-10 and there was a feeling that rather than hanging on, they knew they could actually win and that was the gist of the halftime team talk.

With the second half was again end to end stuff as both team's continued to search for weaknesses. Honiton got the first score and a strong run from Cave put them close, the forwards took over and it was Ben Logan who crashed over. Cave converted. Pirates discipline now going and they found them selves a man down with a yellow card for sculldugary. Honiton took advantage but with an edge to a pulsating game Honiton's 8 Josh Rice was binned as well for back chat.
Pirates came back into the game and mounted an attack going out wide with pace but a superb trade mark tackle saw new man Canniford dislodge the ball, Oaten pounced on the loose ball and ran the full half of the pitch to score his second and Honiton were a comfortable 24-12 up with ten to go! Pirates were not done and anothe rsin bin for Honitons Cootie they battered Honiton's line tand in the dying minutes they crossed for a try but it was all to late and Honiton, against all the odds, came away with a famous victory to round of what has been a tough old season.
On the day it was a great game. Martin Keep, Joe Briggs and Ollie Cave were all mentioned in dispatches as was the two new boys Logan and Canniford and with the support from the senior players doing thier stuff everyone played thier part but the Man of the match award went to Angus Meadows for his sterling work behind the big boys. Finally on a day when Honiton were supposed to lose this was perhaps their best performance and credit to all the players who travelled down and if they stick together play like that then maybe, next year it just might not be so fraught! .