Clifton finish 2013 undefeated at home

Our Director of Rugby Darren Lloyd found this result extremely pleasing as his side finished the first half of the season with a well earned victory over a determined Redruth.

The victory was there ninth of the season which equals the total they recorded in the whole of the last campaign. We are undefeated at home this season with seven wins and if you add games played at the end of last season the run is stretched to nine which is only short of the club record in leagues which dates back to 1993/94.

Darren was forced to select from a depleted squad with excess of twenty players being unavailable for selection for one reason and another.

The side which took the field played with confidence and determination sufficient to overcome a Redruth side who travelled in search of their first away victory of the season.

The outcome was an exciting and high scoring contest which turned into a battle between the well drilled and experienced visiting pack and our gifted backs. Our scrum creaked on occasions but the line out worked well and we were competitive in the loose. Joe Quinn playing with flu along with Hugo Govett had excellent games in the pack while Rob Penhale making his debut coming off the bench for the injured Joe Lovell also impressed.

Redruth used the power of their pack as their main attacking weapon but our defence on the day was excellent with scarcely a tackle being missed.

The visitors were also prone in the windy conditions to make a number of errors and we were alert enough to take advantage of them.

For once we started well and did not concede points early on and could have taken the lead after 7 minutes when Charlie Foley’s 40 metre penalty hit the post and bounced back into play.

The opening score was not long in coming when our pack took play to the visitors line and Matt Britton found space to go over with Foley converting.

Another try quickly followed when George Karayiannis intercepted a Redruth passing attack before feeding Tom Preece who raced in with Foley converting

This was swiftly followed by co centre James Golledge racing 30 metres to the line following a tremendous forward drive. Foley added the extras.

Prop Darren Jacques took play into home territory and Clifton were penalised and the visiting pack launch a drive from the line out and when they moved wide fly half Brett Rule spotted a gap and raced in under the posts with full back Murray Westren converting

Redruth then took firm control through their pack and Clifton were reduced to 14 men when Golledge was sent to the sin bin. Clifton survived 2 attempts at push over tries but when they collapsed a maul the referee awarded Redruth a penalty which Western converted

Straight from the restart Redruth failed to clean up the ball which went loose and Foley gathered to cross under the posts for the bonus point try he also converted.

Redruth lost Damien Cook to the sin bin at the start of the second half and Clifton took advantage of the extra man when following a driving maul Britton dived over for his second try which Foley converted.

The home sides lead was reduced to two scores when visiting scrum half Greg Goodfellow crossed with Westren converting.

With half an hour remaining the visitors forwards began to have the upper hand but an enthusiastic and determined home side defended with discipline to keep their line during this period uncrossed. There was one excellent tackle by Golledge when he bundled a visiting winger into touch feet from the line.

A few useless facts

36 players have started games with a further 5 coming off the bench

Pomphrey , Quinn and Govett have started 13 games

Oddly we have both scored and conceded 50 tries.

22 players have scored tries of which the leading are

Pomphrey 7
Britton 6
Golledge 5
Slowik 4

Leading scorers

Foley 71
Barnes 46