The game had barely got underway when Clifton, to the delight of their travelling supporters, gained possession deep in their own half to send winger Zak Hamid on a weaving run up a narrow channel near the touchline, to brush aside tackles and deliver a well timed pass to present fly half Ollie Milner with the opportunity to touch down.

The Titans response was almost instantaneous, when in spite of a try saving tackle by Hamid, they spun the ball to send centre Andrew Humberstone under the posts with Reece Malone adding the extras. This proved to be their only scores of the afternoon.

For much of the fixture the speed and strong running of Clifton backs and forwards presented the home team with a force they found difficult to contain. They did have moments in attack to test the Clifton defence, however the men in lavender showed resistance to the efforts and were particularly well organised and strong in close quarters to keep their own line safe.

Early in the match, Clifton suffered a yellow card, but during that time managed to score two tries both converted by Milner. Firstly, number eight Niall Gibbons broke from a scrum and brushed off defenders in his customary manner to feed full back Luke Daniels with the chance to score.

Some strong approach play from the re-start disrupted Taunton with lock forward Toby Hutchinson crossing to provide his team with a comfortable interval lead. The fast interventions were posing problems for the host team and exposing gaps in their defence.

After half time Clifton camped on the Titan’s line with their forwards making strong attempts to go over. Scrum half Mitch Spencer quickly changed the line of attack by spinning a pass out wide to centre Marcus Nel, who shrugged off attempted tackles to secure the try bonus point. A further Clifton yellow hardly affected the effectiveness of their defence machine in the closing stages.

This result, with efforts from all the squad, keeps Clifton in touch with league leaders Camborne and in second place, well ahead of other teams who are no longer in with any realistic chance of threatening the Cornish team or challenging Clifton for second place.
Once again the intervention from the powerful Clifton bench was instrumental in the victory.

Roger Opie

WANDERERS 36-22 CINDERFORD 2nd XV

The Wanderers produced a stirring second-half comeback to overturn a half-time deficit and secure a hard-fought 36-22 victory over Cinderford 2nd XV. Despite a slow start, the home side found their rhythm after the break, scoring four second-half tries to claim an important league win.

The visitors made an explosive start, crossing the whitewash after just five minutes to take a 7-0 lead. They extended their advantage to 12-0 at the 15-minute mark as the Wanderers struggled to find their footing.

A yellow card for Beno Edwards in the 17th minute put Wanderers under further pressure, but they responded well with hooker George Davey powering over for their first try at the half-hour mark. The missed conversion left the score at 5-12.

Cinderford hit back almost immediately, adding an unconverted try of their own to restore their 12-point lead. But the Wanderers struck on the stroke of half-time through Andy Chapman, with captain Tom Quinlan adding the extras to close the gap to 12-17 at the break.

A yellow card for Cinderford shortly after the restart shifted the momentum further in the Wanderers' favour. Jason Grinstead capitalised, scoring a crucial try to put the hosts ahead for the first time at 19-17 following Quinlan’s successful conversion.

However, the Wanderers soon faced adversity again when Leo Howard was sent to the bin in the 55th minute. Despite being down a man, they continued their attacking onslaught, with scrum-half Jack Bowyer darting over for a try to make it 24-17.

Substitute Jacob Head extended the lead with a try in the 65th minute, converted by Quinlan, before Davey grabbed his second of the game five minutes later to take the score to 36-17.

Cinderford managed a consolation try at the death, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Wanderers from celebrating a well-earned 36-22 triumph.

Reserve back rower Alex Baker picked up yet another Thatchers man of the match award - adding to his growing collection.

MISFITS 26 - 61 WHITEHALL 1s

The Misfits welcomed an in-form Whitehall 1s to Station Road this week, with the hosts looking to build on their brave performance against Barton Hill the previous week. However, the Misfits were again forced into making several changes across both the pack and backline due to injuries and call-ups. A tough challenge lay ahead as they were forced to start with only 14 players.

Whitehall, showing their clinical edge, were quick to capitalise on the Misfits' difficult circumstances, drawing first blood early in the match.

The visitors continued to dominate, with their forward momentum proving too much for the Misfits.

Whitehall extended their lead further, taking control of the game and scoring twice more to take a 0-21 lead

However, the Misfits were not without fight. A moment of individual brilliance from scrum half Mike Wyatt, who broke through the Whitehall defensive line, set up debutant winger Jean-Claude Cisse for the Misfits' first try.

Whitehall responded immediately, capitalising on a quick turnover to cross for their fourth try of the half.

The Misfits would not be deterred, though, and in the dying minutes of the first half, they struck again. A powerful run from Rohan Robinson saw him dive over the line for the hosts' second try, with Will Lang adding the conversion.

Half-time: Misfits 12-28 Whitehall

After the break, Whitehall maintained their relentless pressure, quickly adding another try to their tally.

The visitors continued to press, with a series of well-executed phases leading to further tries as Clifton struggle under the weight of a two man advantage in Whitehall’s favour.

The Misfits, down to just 13 players for a third of the game, showed remarkable resilience, refusing to lie down. Their efforts were rewarded when substitute Jacob Head crashed over the line for a well-earned try, with Will Lang adding the conversion to make it 19-54.

With their spirits lifted, the Misfits pressed on, and in the final stages of the match, Head once again powered through the Whitehall defence, diving over for his second try of the match, with Lang converting once more to secure a valuable bonus point.

Despite Clifton’s late resurgence, the Green and Gold’s had the final say with another try in the dying minutes.

Full-time: Misfits 26-61 Whitehall

Despite the loss, the Misfits can be proud of their performance, particularly their determination in playing for a significant period of the match with only 13 players.
Their resilience earned them a valuable bonus point, which could prove crucial in their efforts to climb the league table.

Thatchers Man of the Match was awarded to the evergreen Graham Hardy for his tireless work in the back row, a standout performance despite the tough result.

Next week, the Misfits take a well-deserved break before travelling to St Brendan’s Old Boys for a crucial match that could have a significant impact on the final standings at the bottom of the table.

Photographs by Ian Clark