By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, A.Rice, C.Maslen, D.Ashfield, O.James, K.Hill, J.Tucker, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, C.Warren, H.Russell(c). Replacements: J.Ford, G.Carpenter, N.Tucker.

Clevedon sign off season in style with bonus-point win over Drybrook

CLEVEDON signed off the season by racking up 40 points for the fourth successive week in a 40-20 victory over Drybrook at Coleridge Vale.

The hosts ran in five tries to secure a bonus-point win, with Harvey Russell and Oscar James each bagging a brace and Joey Tucker also crossing for a try from scrum-half. Kieran Hill kicked three penalties and three conversions to finish with 15 points.

It was fly-half, Hill who opened the scoring with a well-struck penalty and he then added the extras to the first try of the game, after Oscar James touched down from a quickly taken penalty.

The visitors got themselves on the scoreboard when Kristian Taft barged over with Stephenson converting.

Hill added two more penalties to extend the Clevedon lead to 16-7, before Stephenson reduced the deficit with a three-pointer early in the second-half.

But Harvey Russell took advantage of a scrum against the head for his side's second try of the afternoon, with Hill converting for 23-10.

Back came Drybrook and Stephenson crossed for a converted try before knocking over a penalty to close the gap to three points, but Clevedon finished with a flourish thanks to tries from Joey Tucker and Russell from a catch and drive and to cap another fine afternoon on home soil.

By Will Carpenter

Team: W.Carpenter, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, C.Maslen, T.Thie, K.Hill, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, C.Warren, H.Russell(c). Replacements: J.Ford, B.Williams, N.Tucker.

James' first-half hat-trick leads Clevedon to away win

OSCAR James scored a first-half hat-trick as Clevedon survived a late comeback from hosts Coney Hill to secure a bonus-point win in Gloucestershire.

The wing scorched over for a fine treble to give Clevedon a 28-12 lead at half-time, with centre Cameron Maslen intercepting to touch down for his side's fourth.

Joe Ford added a fifth after the break, before Josh Mortimore scored Clevedon's sixth in the dying minutes. Kieran Hill kicked four conversions out of sixth.

Clevedon made a hugely impressive start to the game and were three tries up in no time, as James twice, Maslen saw the visitors open up a comfortable lead in the first 20 minutes.

But Coney Hill hit back and using their forward power, scored twice in quick succession to close the gap.

Clevedon's backs were enjoying the dry weather and wide open spaces and another neat handling move saw James completes hat-trick before the break, securing a bonus-point in the process.

Early in the second half, young hooker Joe Ford crossed for a superb try as Clevedon opened up a 33-12 lead, but Coney Hill hit back with two more tries of their own thanks to more powerful work up front.

On 70 minutes, after taking a scrum against the head, scrum-half Josh Mortimore darted over for his his Clevedon's sixth try as the visitors regained control.

But it was the home side who had the final say, powering over for two more tries late on to give the scoreline a much closer feel.

Clevedon sign off the season with a home game against Drybrook on Saturday.

Last weekend's win means they will finish in eighth place in South West One West, having briefly flirted with relegation.

Kick-off is 3pm at Coleridge Vale.

By Will Carpenter

CLEVEDON avenged December's last-gasp defeat at the Recreation Ground in emphatic fashion, thrashing local rivals Weston 43-16 at Coleridge Vale.

The hosts, who climb to eighth in the South West One West table, ran in four tries to secure a bonus-point win, courtesy of Will Trollope, Aaron Rice, Chris Warren and Kieran Hill, who also kicked five penalties and four conversions to finish with a 28-point haul.

It was a stunning performance from a Clevedon side who have now scored 83 points in their last two outings, and they quickly picked up where they had left off in the previous week's demolition of Chard.

Fly-half Kieran Hill continued his impressive form from the kicking tee, as he fired over three penalties in the opening quarter, two from the right-hand touchline to hand his side a 9-0 lead.

Weston's Dan Lomax hit back with two penalties of his own as the visitors probed the Clevedon line, but Brian Largenton put an end to another spell of prolonged pressure, with a fine turnover inside his own 22.

On 25 minutes, a sweeping move handling move down the right-hand side saw Chris Warren bundled into touch, but from the resulting lineout, Will Trollope capitalised on a loose throw from the visiting hooker, to crash over from close range. Hill's conversion gave Clevedon a 16-6 lead.

Lomax slotted a third penalty just before the half-hour mark, after Dean Ashfield had been sent to the sin-bin for a technical offence, but his effort was cancelled out on the stroke of half-time by a fourth Hill three-pointer.

Now back to a full allocation, Clevedon scored their second shortly after the restart, when Rice raced away for his 17th league try of the season after Hill had intercepted on halfway.

he fly-half's conversion was on target, and he was at it again minutes later, adding the extras to Chris Warren's try, after the flanker had powered over following good work from Tom Thie.

Weston captain George Sparks saw yellow on 60 minutes for a blatant offside offence, but the home side failed to take full advantage and could only add a fifth Hill penalty on 70 minutes.

The visitors eventually crossed for a consolation try on 75 minutes, but there was still time for Clevedon to secure a bonus-point, with Josh Mortimore breaking from his own 22 before feeding substitute, Ben Williams, who sent Hill in under the posts to cap a fine afternoon for the home side.

Clevedon travel to Coney Hill on Saturday for their penultimate game of the season, the coach leaves at 11.30am.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, M.Taylor, O.James, K.Hill, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, J.Williams, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: C.Maslen, W.Carpenter,N.Tucker.

Dogged Clevedon stand firm to see off Wells

CLEVEDON took a huge step towards safety in South West One West with a battling 19-3 win at Wells on Saturday.

A dogged defensive performance from the visitors and an immaculate display of goal kicking from Kieran Hill saw them to a vital league win, despite playing 35 minutes with just 14-men.

Clevedon trailed 3-0 at the turnaround, largely thanks to some inspired and resilient tackling, which repelled the home side time and time again, despite them enjoying long periods of territory and possession.

Cameron Maslen touched down for the only try of the game early in the second half, before Hill fired over a conversion and four penalties in wet and windy conditions.

Wells opened the scoring with a penalty on five minutes and could have doubled and then tripled their lead with two further penalties, which drifted wide of the posts.

The away side were reduced to 14-men just ten minutes in, when Kieran Hill was sent to the sin-bin for an alleged trip, and just as he returned the field, hooker Matt Honour replaced him on the side line following an offside infringement.

Down to 14-men for 20 minutes, Clevedon scrapped hard to keep the home side out, with some bone-crunching tackles from Harvey Russell and Dean Ashfield ensuring the score line remained in single figures.

Now playing against the slope, but with the wind, Clevedon began to gain a foothold in the game, and after replacement Mike Lowis had been put away down the left-hand side by Ashfield, his offload found the supporting Maslen to canter in from ten metres. Hill added the conversion from the touchline, before his goal kicking took centre stage.

Clevedon continued to dominate possession and territory and Hill sent a penalty, from a similar position to his conversion, flying through the centre of the posts to give his side a 10-3 lead.

Minutes later, Clevedon were back in the Wells 22 and Hill again made the hosts pay for some ill-discipline with another expertly struck kick, before repeating the feat from straight in front to extend Clevedon's lead to 16-3 on the hour mark.

The visitors then suffered a setback when scrum-half Josh Mortimore was shown a red card for illegal use of the boot, leaving his side a man down for the final 15 minutes.

But a fourth Hill penalty settled the nerves and Clevedon held on for a vital league win, to go seven points clear of the bottom three, with one game in hand.

They travel to North Petherton on Saturday, 2.30pm kick-off at Beggars Brook.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, M.Taylor, O.James, K.Hill, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, J.Williams, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: C.Maslen, W.Carpenter,N.Tucker.

Late fightback not enough for wasteful Clevedon

IT was a case of too little, too late for Clevedon as they slumped to a 24-14 defeat at the hands of Teignmouth on Saturday.

The home side squandered a whole host of chances in the opening 15 minutes and were soon made to pay by the visitors, who ran in two tries in either half to seal a bonus-point win.

Joe Ford and Dean Ashfield crossed for Clevedon in the final quarter, with Mike Taylor converting both.

On a dry surface at Coleridge Vale, the home side picked up where they had left off against Bridgwater the previous week, moving the ball at pace and breaking the line at will, but they were unable to capitalise on their dominance and Teignmouth soon took advantage.

Their first try came courtesy of a driving maul, which the Clevedon pack was unable to halt, while their second came from an overlap on the left-hand side of the field.

Midway through the second half, Teignmouth struck again, with a tidy finish in the right-hand corner after Clevedon had failed to clear their lines.

A penalty try awarded at the scrum completed the visitors' scoring.

With 15 minutes remaining, hooker Joe Ford picked a good line to crash over from ten yards out.

Minutes later, a powerful surge from Aaron Rice took Clevedon into the Teignmouth 22, and quick hands on the short side saw Dean Ashfield barge over from close range.

The hosts almost grabbed a losing bonus-point in the dying minutes, when a last-gasp tap-tackle saw Rice brought down just short following another scything break, but it wasn't to be for Clevedon, who were left to rue a wasteful performance.

Clevedon will need to improve in time for next weekend's crunch clash at Wells, with both sides still fighting to guarantee their South West One West for next season.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, O.James, M.Taylor, D.Ashfield, A.Rice, K.Hill, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, T.Statton, H.Foley, C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: M.Honour, W.Carpenter, D.Rawle.

Clevedon take derby spoils with floodlit victory over Bridgwater

FOR the second season running, Clevedon departed College Way with a hard-fought and richly deserved victory over their Somerset rivals and in doing so, dragged themselves closer to safety in South West One West.

Tries from Tim Statton and Kieran Hill, together with 14 points from the boot of the latter, fired Clevedon to a second successive league win on Friday night, leaving them eight points clear of the bottom three, with at least one game in hand on the teams around them.

But Clevedon did not have it all their own way and under the glow of the College Way floodlights, it was the home side that dominated the early exchanges, piling pressure on the visitors' line with a succession of powerful carries in the midfield.

A penalty at the scrum relieved the pressure and once Kieran Hill's clearing kick had taken play into the Bridgwater half, Clevedon began to take full control.

Their first foray into the hosts' 22 was immediately repelled, as a forced offload in the Clevedon ranks saw Bridgwater kick the ball clear.

But from their next, the visitors opened the scoring when, after bulldozing runs from Aaron Rice and Chris Warren, swift handling on the blindside saw Tim Statton race away to touch down in the corner. Hill's touchline conversion flew straight and true and Clevedon led 7-0.

It was soon 10-0 when Hill knocked over a straightforward penalty from under the posts following another spell of pressure, before Bridgwater centre Ashwin saw his long-range effort drift narrowly wide on the half-hour mark.

Minutes before the break, Owen Biggins made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown to earn a penalty and Hill further extended the Clevedon lead with a pinpoint kick from all of 45 metres, to give his side a 13-0 lead heading into the interval.

The opening 20 minutes of the second half followed a very different theme, with Bridgwater hammering away at the Clevedon defence and home centre Chris Ashwin prominent with ball in hand.

He got his side on the scoreboard with a well-struck penalty, before Hill replied in kind for a 16-3 score line.

But Bridgwater refused to lie down and with penalty advantage in the bag, Ashwin's floated pass found Kyran Devitt and the pacey winger finished with aplomb, to bring the home side right back into the game. Ashwin converted from in front.

After a brief stumble, Clevedon soon regained their footing and went close to extending their lead when a turnover on halfway saw Oscar James in the clear down the left; but a last-ditch tap tackle from the covering Devitt halted him and the ball spilled forward into touch.

Play continued in the Bridgwater half and with Mortimore a constant threat around fringes, he soon shook off two defenders to burst his way into the 22. The ball was recycled to the right; where first Largenton and then Ashfield carried towards the line, and after Ashfield had been cut down just short, his delicate offload found the supporting Hill, who struck the killer blow in the corner.

His conversion was wayward, but he made amends on 72 minutes with a penalty from the halfway line after yet another powerful scrum.

Tom Thie almost signed off proceedings with a fine individual effort, but having gathered his own chip-and-chase, was unable to beat the final defender and the final whistle signalled the end of an enthralling local derby.

Clevedon welcome Teignmouth to Coleridge Vale on Saturday, 2.30pm kick-off.

By Will Carpenter

Team: W.Carpenter, O.James, C.Maslen, M.Taylor, T.Thie, R.Biggins, K.Hill, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, H.Russell, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: M.Honour, C.Warren, D.Ashfield.

Hill at the double as Clevedon stop the rot at Avonmouth

KIERAN Hill scored twice as Clevedon ended a run of five straight defeats with a 29-18 bonus-point win at Avonmouth Old Boys.

Hill, making his first start since returning to the club from Hornets, touched down in each half, either side of tries from man of the match, Brian Largenton and wing Oscar James.

Mike Taylor kicked two conversions and penalty, while Hill added the extras to his second try, to complete a much-needed win for Clevedon.

In this crunch relegation clash, Clevedon were gifted a second minute lead, when Hill, who started at fly half, with Will Carpenter reverting to full-back, intercepted on halfway before cruising in under the posts for a converted try.

But the hosts hit back and leveled the scores five minutes later, when full-back Andy Taylor took advantage of an over lap on the left-hand side to power over, with Loader adding the extras.

A 35 metre penalty from Mike Taylor, after powerful work at the scrum, opened up a 10-7 lead for the visitors on the 20 minute mark, before Avonmouth fly-half Loader kicked two penalties of his own to give the home side a 13-10 lead.

But it didn't last long, as prop Brian Largenton picked through the middle of a centre-field ruck and trundled under the posts from 30 metres, Taylor's conversion made it 17-13 at half-time.

Now playing with the slope, Clevedon were guilty of not clearing their lines in the early stages of the second half and only some resilient defending prevented Avonmouth from going back in front.

When they did eventually clear their lines, Clevedon began to find their feet and a strong lineout drive put the visitors on the front foot.

When the ball was moved wide, Taylor's step and offload put Dean Ashfield in the clear and he unselfishly teed up Oscar James to touch down in the left-hand corner and give Clevedon some breathing space.

The conversion was missed, but Clevedon were soon back in Avonmouth territory and from a five metre scrum, Hill sliced a hole in the home defence to secure an all-important bonus-point for his side.

In the dying minutes, Blaise Bosley was sent to the sin-bin for an alleged scrum offence, and the home side took full advantage to score their second try of the afternoon.

But it had little bearing on the result and Clevedon now head into Friday night's derby showdown at Bridgwater and Albion in confident mood.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, M.Lowis, C.Maslen, M.Taylor, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimer, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, T.Statton, H.Foley, H.Russell, O.Biggins(c) Replacements: N.Tucker, J.Tucker, K.Hill.

Clevedon sunk by late Newent try

A LAST-gasp try condemned Clevedon to a narrow defeat at the hands of promotion chasing Newent on Saturday.

A first-half score from Oscar James and 11 points from the boot of Mike Taylor had given the hosts a four-point lead with ten minutes to play, but Newent crossed in the dying minutes to leave Clevedon with just a losing bonus-point to their name.

Newent opened the scoring with a try on ten minutes following some sharp work from scrum-half James Dean.

Clevedon responded with a Taylor penalty and shortly after, the centre almost created his side's first try of the afternoon, but was unable to apply the finishing touches to a scything break.

On the half-hour mark, he went one better, sending Oscar James flying into the left-hand corner and adding the conversion, after debutant Cameron Maslen, who impressed in attack and defence, had burst through the Newent midfield on halfway.

Full-back Tom Thie then glided through a hole in the Newent defence, before linking up with Harvey Russell and Brian Largenton, but again, the final pass evaded the home side.

The Clevedon lineout was dominant throughout, with Russell and Tim Statton securing and stealing ball, while Joe Ford's pitching was regularly on the money.

Taylor added a second penalty shortly before half time, to open up a 13-7 lead going into the interval.

The second-half began in cagey fashion with both sides fighting it out in the middle third.

Newent hit back on the hour mark with a try in the left-hand corner, to close the gap to 13-12, but Taylor's third penalty gave Clevedon some breathing space heading into the final 15 minutes.

Taylor's eventful afternoon continued when he was sent to the sin-bin for a questionable professional foul and when Clevedon were restored to their full allocation, Newent scrambled over from close range to snatch victory.

Clevedon travel to Avonmouth on Saturday, in what is now a huge clash in their bid to avoid the drop.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M Taylor, O James, A Rice, D Ashfield, M Lowis, T Thie, W Carpenter; B Largenton, M Honour, B Bosley, D Rawle (c), T Statton, H Foley, R Biggins, H Russell. Replacements:N.Tucker, N.George, A.Vailes.

Clevedon edged out at league leaders Camborne

A GRITTY and determined display wasn't quite enough for Clevedon as they suffered a narrow defeat at league leaders Camborne on Saturday.

Despite taking a 15th minute lead through hooker Matt Honour, Clevedon were unable to add any further score and came up agonisingly short of a losing bonus-point against a side seven points clear at the top.

The visitors came into the game having played just 140 minutes of rugby in 2016, but it was they who made the brighter start, enjoying early possession and territory.

Camborne were a constant threat on the counter attack and from a well-organised driving maul, but the visiting defence held firm during the first half hour.

Clevedon came close to opening the scoring on ten minutes, when Mike Taylor saw a long-range penalty come up just short, but five minutes later, after the Clevedon pack had driven Camborne 20 yards from an impressive maul of their own, Taylor's chip through was hacked on by Aaron Rice.

When the outside centre was hauled down a metre short of the line, quick hands from Harvey Russell and Dean Ashfield found Matt Honour, who burrowed his way over in the corner for the opening try of the afternoon.

The next ten minutes featured three yellow cards, two for Camborne and one for Clevedon's Dean Ashfield for an adjudged deliberate knock-on, but the away side were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Camborne hit back on the half hour mark, when their prop picked a neat line in midfield to score under the posts, and the conversion made it 7-5 to the hosts at half-time.

The second half began with Camborne in control and they extended their lead with a penalty from under the posts.

They continued to chip away at the Clevedon defence, but sturdy work from centre Dean Ashfield and flanker, Rory Biggins kept the leaders at bay.

Camborne were reduced to 14-men on 60 minutes, with their third yellow of the afternoon, but yet again, Clevedon failed to break down their depleted opponents.

The home side kicked a third penalty on 70 minutes to open up an eight-point lead, and try as they might, Clevedon were unable to get within the seven points required for a losing bonus-point that they probably deserved.

Taylor saw a 78th minute penalty drift just wide in testing conditions underfoot, and his long-range drop goal a minute later suffered a similar fate.

Clevedon welcome Bideford to Coleridge Vale on Saturday, kick-off is 2.15pm.

Clevedon travel to Wells on Saturday for a 14:15 kick off.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Taylor, O.James, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, D.Rawle(c), H.Foley, H.Foley, C.Warren, O.Biggins, H.Russell. Replacements: M.Lowis, T.Statton, J.Williams.

Injury to referee forces second half abandonment with Clevedon trailing

THIS match was brought to a premature conclusion in bizarre circumstances, after an injury to the referee on 59 minutes forced it to be abandoned.

Clevedon trailed 18-15 when match official Will Thomas pulled up with a hamstring injury, having just awarded Newent their third try of the afternoon.

But he was unable to continue, forcing the fixture to be abandoned just one minute short of the 60 required to enable the result to stand.

The fixture will now be replayed and could take place at the end of April.

Clevedon were slow out of the blocks and found themselves 8-0 down inside ten minutes, as Newent took advantage of some lacklustre defending to score a try and a penalty.

But the hosts soon awoke and full-back Mike Taylor reduced the deficit with two penalties in quick succession, after some hostile work from Owen Biggins at the breakdown and numerous turnovers from Harvey Russell at the lineout.

Newent hit back with a second try courtesy of wing Jake Harkness, to extend their lead to 13-6.

Clevedon, though, refused to lie down and levelled the scores five minutes before half-time with a try from Harley Foley.

Foley was on hand to touch down in the corner, after sharp footwork from Taylor and deft handling from Harvey Russell had laid it on the plate for the second row, Taylor added the conversion from the right-hand touchline.

The sides headed into the interval all square at 13-13 and the second period began with the home side on the front foot.

From another huge Clevedon scrum, centre Dean Ashfield appeared to have scythed his way through the visitors' defence, before being called back for an accidental offside in the build-up, and minutes later, a well-executed backs move saw Will Carpenter and Oscar James combined to set Aaron Rice away through the middle.

Rice was dragged down 20 metres short and Clevedon were then awarded a penalty under the posts.

But an alleged stamp at the breakdown saw the referee reverse his decision and Clevedon found themselves back inside their own half.

From here, the momentum began to change and Newent took charge.

A period of prolonged pressure in the Clevedon 22 saw Owen Biggins sent to the sin-bin and from the resulting penalty, the visitors kicked to the corner.

A resilient defensive effort withstood the Newent maul and forced a turnover, from which Taylor cleared long downfield to relieve the pressure.

But a melee ensued and once peace had been restored, the referee sent both Josh Mortimore and the Newent number eight to the sin-bin.

This enthralling contest was now 13 against 14 and Newent retook the lead on 58 minutes, with their impressive scrum-half, James Dean finding a gap on the blindside, before shaking off the covering defence to score in the corner.

Referee Thomas was on hand to award the try, but received treatment soon after, before attempting to restart play.

But as Taylor kicked off for Clevedon, Thomas pulled up again and without another qualified referee in attendance, the match was brought to a close with play very much in the balance.

Clevedon travel to Wells on Saturday for a 14:15 kick off.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, M.Lowis, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, T.Statton, D.Rawle(c), H.Foley, O.Biggins, James Davis. Replacements: G.Carpenter, J.Williams, R.Biggins.

Clevedon pipped at the post in Friday night thriller

here.

A LATE penalty try saw Clevedon slip to a 22-19 defeat at the hands of local rivals Weston on Friday night. Read the rest of Will Carpenter's report here.

Harley Foley, Owen Biggins and Aaron Rice all crossed for second half tries after the home side had taken a 7-0 lead into the interval, and Clevedon led 19-10 with 70 minutes on the clock.

But Weston rallied in the final ten minutes, scoring twice to deny the visitors a sixth successive league win.

In front of a bumper crowd at the Recreation Ground, it was the home side who were quickest out of the blocks, and after fly-half Dan Lomax had been wide with a penalty kick at goal, wing Matt Watkins scorched over the open the scoring.

Clevedon gradually fought their way back into the contest, but failed to turn possession and territory into points and were forced to settle for a seven-point half-time deficit.

That all changed after the break, as the away side hit top gear in a scintillating 20 minute passage, crossing three times to turn the game on its head.

First Harley Foley applied the finishing touches to a sweeping handling move, after Brian Largenton and Gary Carpenter had burst through the hosts' midfield, and then Owen Biggins crashed over from close range, with Gary Carpenter again involved in the build up.

Lomax dissected the posts with a penalty on 55 minutes, before Aaron Rice sprinted in for Clevedon's third score on the hour mark, after neat hands from Matt Honour and Brian Largenton.

Will Carpenter converted two of the three as Clevedon opened up a nine point lead heading into the final ten minutes.

But Weston were far from finished and after Watkins had touched down for his second of the evening, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty try on 78 minutes, which Lomax converted to condemn Clevedon to a 22-19 defeat.

Clevedon kick-off 2016 with a home game against Drybrook at Coleridge Vale, 2.30pm KO.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Taylor, M.Lowis, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, T.Statton, H.Foley, C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: N.Tucker, J.Williams, T.Thie.

Clevedon claim bonus point in free-flowing victory over Chard

CLEVEDON stormed to a fifth successive league win with a 38-19 bonus point triumph at Chard on Saturday.

Centre Aaron Rice continued his remarkable form with all four of his side's tries, but not without a helping hand from midfield partner Dean Ashfield, whose impressive offloading in a man of the match display, put Rice away for three of his haul.

Full-back Mike Taylor was almost faultless from the kicking tee, notching seven out of eight kicks to finish with 18 points.

Clevedon, though, were slow off the mark and received a rude awakening when the powerful Chard pack drove over for the first score of the afternoon

Taylor reduced the deficit with the first of four penalties, before Ashfield and Rice combined in the midfield to put the latter in under the posts for his tenth try of the season.

Taylor added the conversion for a 10-3 lead and minutes later slotted a 40 metre penalty from the right-hand touchline to extend the visitors' lead further.

Clevedon had now hit top gear and after Oscar James made good yardage down the right wing, Carpenter swung the ball right to left, where Ashfield broke a tackle before offloading to the supporting Rice who muscled over from close range.

Taylor's conversion opened up a 20-5 lead and his third penalty made it 23-5, but it could have been more emphatic, with Mike Lowis having a try ruled out, following a sweeping backs move and an expertly executed chip-and-chase.

Now playing up the slope, Clevedon made a positive start to the second half and good work in the scrum earned them a penalty, which Taylor stroked between the uprights for a 21-point lead.

But back came Chard and some ill discipline in the Clevedon ranks allowed the home side an easy route into the 22 and they took full advantage, earning two penalty tries, while Clevedon had both Neil Tucker and Harley Foley sin-binned.

At 26-19 it was game on, but Clevedon struck the killer blow on 65 minutes, when they crossed for a third carbon-copy try of the afternoon to put the result beyond doubt, as Ashfield's sublime offload out of the tackle set Rice on the way to a second successive hat-trick.

Clevedon put the icing on the cake with two minutes left to play, when a smart turnover from Chris Warren freed up the backline once again, and neat hands from Carpenter, Ashfield and Taylor saw Rice surge over for his and Clevedon's fourth of the afternoon to seal a bonus-point win.

Clevedon sign off 2015 with a derby clash at Weston-super-Mare on Friday night (7.30pm KO).

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Taylor, M.Lowis, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, T.Statton, H.Foley, C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins(c). Replacements: N.Tucker, J.Potts, T.Thie.

Rice runs riot as Clevedon thump North Petherton

AARON Rice scored a barnstorming hat trick as Clevedon romped to a 50-17 demolition of North Petherton at Coleridge Vale.

The centre scored one and assisted one in an evenly matched first half, before crossing twice in five second half minutes to set Clevedon on the way to a commanding bonus-point win.

Full back Mike Taylor touched down twice and kicked 15 points to finish with a personal haul of 25 points, while Oscar James and Josh Mortimore also got in on the act as the home side made it four wins in succession.

But they didn't have it all their own way and after a period of prolonged pressure, it was North Petherton who took the lead courtesy of wing Gavin Hancock.

Harry Roberts added the conversion from out wide, but they weren't in front for long, as Brian Largenton's deft offload set Rice away through the middle and the centre fixed the covering defence before finding Oscar James to dot down under the posts.

Taylor converted to level the scores and the home side soon surged into a lead they would not relinquish, but not before Pethy's Matt Hastie was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle.

Returning a kick, Taylor moved the ball to centre Dean Ashfield, whose outrageous over the shoulder pass set Rice away again and this time he needed no support, outpacing Pethy full back Harry Roberts to touch down for Clevedon's second try.

But back came Pethy, taking advantage of some slack play from the home side, who were guilty of trying to overplay in their own half, to score in the left hand corner, with Hancock grabbing his second.

With the match in the balance, Clevedon struck the killer blow early in the second half with two tries in five minutes.

First, Owen Biggins took the ball to the line and threaded an expertly timed pass into the path of Rice who finished with aplomb and minutes later the centre, who was later awarded man of the match, shook off a handful of tackles before motoring 40 metres to score in the right-hand corner.

This blitz knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and Clevedon took full advantage, scoring three more in the final 20 minutes.

North Petherton did score a third courtesy of a neat handling move, but it was a mere consolation.

After Ashfield had sliced through the visitor's midfield to take play into the Pethy 22, Will Carpenter's floated pass put Mike Taylor in the corner and the full back converted his own try.

Scrum-half Mortimore powered over from close range for try number six, and with the final play of the game, Taylor nipped in to steal an interception and cruise in from 30 metres.

Next week, Clevedon are away to Chard. The coach leaves sharp at 11:15 for a 14:15 kick off..The seconds are at home to North Petherton and the Colts are away to Nailsea & Backwell with both kick offs at 14:15.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Taylor, M.Lowis, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, T.Statton, D.Rawle(c), H.Foley, O.Biggins, C.Warren. Replacements: N.Tucker, J.Ford, S.Cawley.

Taylor kicks Clevedon to third successive win

CLEVEDON'S mid-season revival continued on Saturday with a gritty 9-0 win at Teignmouth, to extend their unbeaten run to three games.

This was a result built on the back of another defiant defensive effort and coupled with an immaculate kicking display from full-back Mike Taylor, who battled a strong, swirling Devon wind to knock over three penalties without fail.

The visitors were again forced to play a large chunk of the game with only fourteen men following yellow cards for Owen Biggins and Aaron Rice, but they held firm, repelling a hoard of Teignmouth catch and drive lineouts to survive unscathed.

Playing with the wind at their backs, Clevedon made a lively start to the game and could've scored within the opening 60 seconds, as Aaron Rice burst through from the kick off before being dragged down 15 metres short.

Inside centre Dean Ashfield repeated the feat soon after, but lost his footing as he looked to pull away from the covering defence.

Taylor then kicked the visitors into a 3-0 lead with a 45 metre penalty, but they were soon one man down when Biggins was sent to the sin bin for playing his opposite man in the air at the lineout.

From the penalty, Teignmouth kicked deep into the Clevedon 22 to begin a 20 minute onslaught of the away side's line.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, the Clevedon pack battled hard as the home side's tactic of catch and drive lineouts was continuously repeated.

Biggins returned from the sin bin, only to be replaced almost immediately by centre Rice.

But finally the ball was spilt and Clevedon worked their way down field, where Taylor doubled his side's lead with another well struck penalty.

Shortly before half time, Mike Lowis, who put in an impressive shift on the left-wing, broke away down the narrowest of blindsides and tiptoed along the touchline.

His offload found Biggins, who flicked a pass out to Foley, but his ambitious attempt at a chip and chase came to nothing and the sides entered the half time break with the score at 6-0.

The second half began in identical fashion to the first, with Rice powering through the Teignmouth midfield to take play into the 22, but the finishing touch was absent again and the chance went begging.

But Teignmouth were still pressing hard and some ill discipline from the away side granted them a number of chances to get on the scoreboard. But they were met by a resolute Clevedon defence, who continued to blunt the driving maul, while in the backs, Dean Ashfield secured a vital turnover just five metres out.

From another such spell in the Clevedon 22, the ball was eventually spilt and Mike Lowis kicked long down field to relieve the pressure.

He followed it up with a strong chase to earn his side a penalty, which Taylor converted against an increasingly strong wind for 9 0.

Clevedon almost put the game to bed on 70 minutes, when a smartly worked backs move freed up Oscar James, but the winger spilt the ball over the line as he stretched to touch down.

Teignmouth were off target with late penalty kick at goal as they hunted for a losing bonus point and Clevedon left Devon with a rare clean sheet.

Next week, Clevedon host North Petherton for a 14:30 kick off, preceded by the usual lunch at 13:30. The seconds are away to Old Sulians and the Colts are away to Wells.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, M.Lowis, A.Rice, M.Taylor, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, J.Williams, B.Bosley, T.Statton, D.Rawle(c), H.Foley, O.Biggins, J.Davis. Replacements: N.Tucker, J.Russell, D.Ashfield.

Heroic defensive effort fires Clevedon to derby victory at the Vale

A VALIANT defensive display inspired Clevedon to a 16-10 derby day victory over Avonmouth at Coleridge Vale on Saturday.

The hosts survived two second-half sin binnings and a late Avonmouth onslaught to make it back to back league wins and move further away from the bottom three in South West One West.

Harley Foley crossed for Clevedon's only try, with Will Carpenter adding the conversion, while Mike Taylor kicked three long-range penalties.

The Clevedon forwards were at their outstanding best throughout, with openside flanker Owen Biggins pushed hard by Harley Foley and Joe Williams for the man of the match accolade.

Playing with a strong, wintry breeze at their backs in the first-half, Clevedon started well and a powerful run from Aaron Rice earned his side a penalty, which Taylor duly knocked over from all over 45 metres.

Joe Wearne replied in turn for Avonmouth, before some strong work at the breakdown from the Clevedon pack afforded Taylor another shot at goal and the centre obliged from 40 metres out to restore the home side's lead.

A sweeping handling move then saw Clevedon make their way into the Avonmouth 22, with Mike Lowis eventually hauled down just short.

Carpenter rattled the post with a penalty, before Oscar James was adjudged to have been held up as he dived in at the left-hand corner.

But Clevedon were soon rewarded for their first half dominance with a try on the half hour mark. Breaking from just inside their own half, Taylor and Thie combined to bring play into the Avonmouth 22 and from the next phase, Brian Largenton's neat offload found Owen Biggins, who in turn found Foley, to applying the finishing touches to a well-worked Clevedon move.

Carpenter added the extras to extend the lead to 13-3 at half-time.

Early in the second-half, Clevedon thought they had added a second try, as Oscar James scampered over in the left-hand corner, but the referee called play back for an obstruction in the build up.

The rest of the half saw Avonmouth firmly in charge and only the hardy Clevedon defence keeping their line intact, with a mammoth effort on an increasingly heavy pitch.

Taylor's third penalty of the afternoon just had the legs against the stiff Coleridge Vale breeze to give Clevedon a 16-3 advantage, but they were soon reduced to 14 men, with captain Dave Rawle sent to the sin bin for a maul infringement.

Number eight Andy Davis followed his skipper to the naughty step minutes later, to leave Clevedon down to 13 men and with their backs firmly to the wall. But the hosts rallied and a combination of heroic tackling and scramble defence kept Avonmouth at bay.

The numerical advantage eventually told when the Avonmouth pack drove their way over from close range and Wearne's conversion set up a tense finale.

With three minutes left to play, visiting fly-half Joe Wearne's pin-point cross-field kick found Billy Reynolds in wide open space, but the winger was unable to keep his footing and was pulled up inches short.

A long clearance from Taylor took play into the Avonmouth half and when Oscar James scooped up a loose ball, his thumping kick into touch signaled the end of a fiery and hard-fought local derby.

Clevedon travel to Teignmouth on Saturday with the coach leaving at 11:00.

By Will Carpenter

Team: T.Thie, M.Lowis, A.Rice, S.Cawley, O.James, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, G.Carpenter, J.Williams, B.Bosley, H.Foley, D.Rawle(c), C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins. Replacements: T.Statton, B.Largenton, J.Ford.

Spirited Clevedon battle to away win at Bideford

CLEVEDON finally got back to winning ways with a hard-fought and spirited win at Bideford on Saturday.

Oscar James scored the only try of the game for the visitors, midway through the first-half, while Will Carpenter added a penalty to complete the scoring.

In a game of small margins, Bideford missed two penalties in the final five minutes, much to the relief of a Clevedon side who will be hoping this result can kick-start their season.

Despite the wet and windy conditions, the playing surface at Bank End was in immaculate condition and it was the home side, playing against the elements, who had the best of the opening exchanges.

Ollie Wickett kicked Bideford into a 3-0 lead following a spell of resolute defending from a fired-up Clevedon side.

The majority of the first-half was played in and around the halfway line, as both sides battled the elements and some hefty tackling, in a bid to gain a foothold in the game.

On the half hour mark, Clevedon crossed for a decisive try courtesy of wing, Oscar James.

Following a turnover just inside the Bideford half, the visitors moved the ball to the left-hand touchline, before a swift handling move coming back the other way, saw Carpenter, Dave Rawle, Harley Foley, Joe Williams and Harvey Russell combine to free up James, who finished in emphatic style for his fifth try of the season.

Carpenter's conversion from wide on the right was off target, but the fly-half knocked over a simple penalty shortly after, to open up an 8-3 lead.

Bideford fly-half, Wickett reduced the deficit to 8-6 with a straightforward penalty of his own, before Carpenter squandered the chance to open up a five-point cushion two minutes before the break, when he was off target with a 30 metre kick.

Now playing against a gale force wind, Clevedon knew the second-half was going to be more about guts and grind than anything else and a spell of Bideford pressure minutes into the half, was halted by a vital turnover by the impressive Joe Williams.

The away side edged their way down field and went close to extending their lead, when flanker Chris Warren almost won the race to Mike Lowis' deft chip.

But Bideford came storming back into the game, only to be denied by a spirited defensive effort at the lineout.

With five minutes remaining, Wickett had the chance to break Clevedon hearts with a 30 metre penalty, only to see his kick drift across the face of the posts.

But more drama was to follow, as the referee awarded the home side another penalty with the final play, but the kick, from all of 40 metres, followed a similar course and Clevedon were left to celebrate only their second win of the season.

This was a much-needed result for Clevedon, who have climbed back out of the bottom three in South West One West and will be hoping to build on it when Avonmouth visit Coleridge Vale on Saturday (2.30pm).

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Lowis, O.James, A.Rice, M.Taylor, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, N.Tucker, H.Foley, D.Rawle(c), C.Warren, H.Russell, J.Davis. Replacements: G.Carpenter, S.Cawley, J.Ford.

Clevedon downed by table-topping Camborne

CLEVEDON have slipped into the bottom three in South West One West after suffering a 31-11 defeat at the hands of table-topping Camborne on Saturday.

Clevedon's points came courtesy of a fine Oscar James try and six points from the boot of Will Carpenter, but they rarely threatened the visitors, who were good value for their bonus-point win.

The home side got off to the worst possible start, as a Camborne penalty in midfield was kicked deep into Clevedon territory and from the resulting lineout, Sam Matavesi touched down for his side's opening score.

The conversion was missed, but Camborne didn't take long to double their advantage.

After Mike Lowis was sin-binned for an adjudged infringement at the breakdown, Matavesi barged over for his second on the 20 minute mark, with the conversion making it 12-0.

Clevedon awoke briefly and a period of sustained possession and territory saw them force a penalty, which Carpenter knocked over for 12-3.

The fly-half added a second minutes before the break to send the sides into half-time with the score at 12-6.

But Camborne were quickly into the stride after the interval and scored their third and fourth tries in quick succession to open up a 26-6 lead.

Clevedon refused to lie down and briefly threatened to find a route back into the game, when winger Oscar James scorched over for the try of the game, tip-toeing along the touchline before sprinting 50 metres to round off a neat handling move on the blindside.

The conversion was missed and Camborne soon had the final say with a try three minutes from time, as Matavesi completed his hat trick from the back of another driving maul.

Harley Foley was the standout performer for the home side with a characteristically dogged display in the second row, but it wasn't enough for Clevedon, who will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they travel to Bideford on Saturday.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Lowis, O.James, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, J.Ford, M.Honour, H.Foley, D.Rawle(c), C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins. Replacements: J.Williams, E.Tauribau, M.Taylor.

Lacklustre second half spell costs Clevedon at Thornbury

CLEVEDON were left to rue a lacklustre ten minute spell in the second-half, as they crashed to a fifth straight league defeat at the hands of Thornbury.

Tries from Tom Thie and Aaron Rice weren't enough for the visitors, who conceded twice in the opening minutes of the second period to give themselves too much to do in the remainder of the game.

Thornbury raced into a 9-0 lead courtesy of three penalties from the boot of Tom Luke, but Clevedon hit back on 25 minutes with a well-worked try from Tom Thie.

Quick hands in midfield from Oscar James released Mike Lowis in the outside channel, and his expertly timed pass freed up Tom Thie to touch down, with Carpenter adding the conversion.

Some resolute Clevedon defending twice denied the hosts when ten metres out, but a hopeful kick through shortly before half-time saw the ball bounce kindly for a Thornbury player to power over and give the home side a 16-7 half-time lead.

Needing a quick response after the break, Clevedon shot themselves in the foot with a sloppy start to the second-half, as high-flying Thornbury took full advantage with two tries in five minutes.

They were given a lifeline on the hour mark when Aaron Rice broke a tackle on halfway before outpacing the covering defence to dot down in the left-hand corner, but Clevedon had given themselves too much of a mountain to climb and were unable to find their way across the whitewash again.

There are no league fixtures this weekend, but Clevedon return to action on November 7 at home to Camborne, in desperate need of a win to kick-start their campaign.

By Will Carpenter

Somerset Cup

Team: M.Lowis, O.James, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, J.Ford, B.Bosley, H.Foley, D.Rawle(c), C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins. Replacements: M.Honour, W.Trollope, G.Carpenter, J.Potts, J.Tucker

Second-half blitz not quite enough for battling Clevedon

CLEVEDON came up just short of pulling off a cup upset against Old Reds on Saturday, going down 28-38 in a scintillating quarter-final tie.

Tries from Owen Biggins and Oscar James saw Clevedon fight back from 17-9 down to take a 23-17 lead with 20 minutes remaining, but Reds rallied in the final quarter and touched down three times to book a semi-final spot.

Will Carpenter kicked three penalties and two conversions for the hosts to finish with a 13 point haul, while Harley Foley had the final say with Clevedon's third try of the afternoon on 80 minutes, but it wasn't quite enough.

The game began at breakneck speed with both sides putting together some neat passages of play, but it was the visitors who struck first courtesy of centre Christian Gervais, who picked off an interception in midfield to go in under the posts with Jack Skelton adding the conversion.

Clevedon almost responded immediately, when Dean Ashfield's backhanded offload found Aaron Rice who in turn fed Oscar James, but the wing was bundled into touch two yards from the try line.

Carpenter got Clevedon on the scoreboard with a 25-metre penalty, before Skelton replied in kind to give Reds a 10-3 lead, after Aaron Rice had been sent to the sin-bin.

Carpenter added his second penalty of the afternoon with the final kick of the half, to reduce the deficit and send the sides into the break with the score at 10-6 to Reds.

Early in the second-half, Reds number eight Dan Fry exploited a gap in the Clevedon midfield to cruise in for his side's second try, before a third Carpenter penalty kept Clevedon in touch at 17-9.

But with Rice back on the field and Clevedon restored to their full allocation, the hosts began to find their feet and soon crossed for two tries in ten minutes. Centre Rice, who put in another eye-catching performance, was the common denominator in both scores on his return to the action.

First, Rice picked an expert line from the blindside to slice through the Reds defence and feed the supporting Owen Biggins, before demonstrating pace and power to bundle through a tackle in midfield and set up Oscar James, who scorched over from 30 metres. Carpenter converted both to open up a 23-17 lead.

Reds though, were far from finished and hit back with a third try on the hour mark, and one Clevedon will look back on as being soft, with McDonald applying the finished touches and Skelton converting.

Jack Nowell then scored in the left-hand corner, with Skelton again adding the extras, to open up a 31-23 lead, and he scored his second on 72 minutes, when a bouncing ball fell kindly into his lap to all but seal the win for Reds.

There was just time for Foley to dot down in the corner following good work from Joey Tucker and Harvey Russell, but after Carpenter's conversion drifted wide, the referee brought an end to proceedings.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Taylor, O.James, A.Rice, D.Ashfield, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, H.Foley, D.Rawle(c), C.Warren, H.Russell, O.Biggins. Replacements: W.Trollope, J.Williams, J.Tucker

Clevedon edged out by Wells at Coleridge Vale

CLEVEDON squandered a 17-5 lead to slip to a fourth defeat of the season at home to Wells on Saturday.

First-half tries from Aaron Rice and Chris Warren had put Clevedon into a deserved lead, but a combination of ill discipline and unforced errors saw Wells fight their way back into the game, to leave the hosts with just a losing bonus-point to their name.

Rice crossed for his second try late in the second-half as Clevedon began to mount a comeback, but the clock was against them and they were once again left to rue what might have been.

The hosts started brightly and an early spell of possession and territory forced a penalty, which Taylor duly slotted from close range. But Wells hit back and scored their first try of the afternoon on 15 minutes, courtesy of a well executed cross-field kick.

Next came Clevedon's purple patch, as first Rice and then Warren crossed in quick succession to put the home side into a commanding lead.

Centre Rice powered his way over from close range following a quickly taken penalty by Josh Mortimer, before Harvey Russell scythed through the Wells defence and fed the supporting Warren, who sprinted away to score.

Shortly before half-time Taylor was sin-binned for an alleged deliberate knock-on, and from the resulting penalty, the visitors drove their way over the line to reduce the deficit.

The momentum was now with the away side and they added a penalty and a drop goal early in the second-half to retake the lead.

They scored their third try on the hour mark with another cross field kick, this time more speculative, but the bounce evaded the covering Clevedon defence and Wells found themselves 11 points up.

The home side rallied and with five minutes left to play, Rice crashed crashed through the defence to touch down under the sticks, with Taylor adding the conversion.

But Clevedon ran out of time and the final whistle condemned them to a four-point defeat.

They host Old Reds this weekend in the quarter-final of the Somerset Cup, KO 3pm.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.Lowis, O.James, A.Rice, M.Taylor, T.Thie, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, H.Foley, W.Trollope, O.Biggins, H.Russell, E.Tauribau. Replacements: D.Ashfield, G.Carpenter, J.Ford

Late fightback not enough for Clevedon

A LATE fight back wasn't enough to prevent Clevedon from slipping to a third straight league defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Newent on Saturday.

Aaron Rice scored Clevedon's only try of the afternoon, to take his season tally to three in four games, and Mike Taylor kicked 11 points, before being just off target with a long range drop goal in the game's final moments.

Clevedon went 3-0 behind to a tenth minute penalty and suffered a setback five minutes later when Taylor was sent to the sin-bin.

The hosts added another penalty, before Taylor returned to the action to reduce the deficit to 6-3, and he soon added a second, but not before the hosts had knocked over their third for a 9-6 half-time score line.

It was the home side who began the second-half brightest and they soon made the most of some early pressure with the first try of the afternoon, when a neat offload saw their fly-half break away to score under the posts, the conversion made it 16-6 with half an hour left to play.

This score seemed to wake Clevedon, who came surging back into the game with a string of powerful carries from both backs and forwards.

Prop Brian Largenton crashed through the defence before being dragged down just short, while the returning Dean Ashfield and ever dangerous Aaron Rice made headway in midfield.

Taylor kicked his third penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points, but this was short-lived as the hosts replied just minutes later to restore their 10-point advantage.

Clevedon continued to press forward and when their driving maul was illegally pulled down, Newent were reduced to 14-men and the visitors went again.

This time, the defence were legal in their methods, but following strong carries from Harvey Russell and Matt Honour, Ashfield picked out Rice to touch down to the left of the posts, with Taylor adding the conversion.

The visitors were now firmly in control and came close to finding the winning score on a number of occasions.

Fly-half Will Carpenter sliced his way through the Newent defence before being hauled down by the covering full-back, and from the next phase, Honour was halted two metres short by another desperate tackle.

With time ticking away, Taylor attempted a monstrous drop-goal from all of 50 metres, that looked as though it would find its target, but the kick faded agonisingly wide and with that, so did Clevedon's hopes of avoiding defeat as they were forced to settle for a losing bonus-point.

Clevedon have no fixture this weekend but welcome Wells to Coleridge Vale on October 10.

By Will Carpenter

Team: W.Carpenter, O.James, A.Rice, M.Taylor, M.Lowis, T.Thie, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, H.Foley, W.Trollope, J.Williams, H.Russell, O.Biggins. Replacements: E.Tauribau, C.Warren, J.Tucker

Wasteful Clevedon pay the price

CLEVEDON were left to rue a number of squandered chances after slipping to a narrow defeat at the hands of local rivals Bridgwater at Coleridge Vale.

A penalty from Mike Taylor accounted for the home side's only points of the afternoon, despite having long periods of possession and territory. This was a game Clevedon could and probably should have won, but they were eventually made to pay by a far more clinical opponent. Tries from James Bryant, and Luca Ercolani sealed the win for Bridgwater, while Chris Ashwin kicked eight points.

Bridgwater took a lead early when Clevedon were offside in midfield, with Chris Ashwin landing the straightforward penalty kick.

Clevedon hit back and surged into the Bridgwater 22 as they began to gain a foothold, and Mike Taylor was just wide with a 28m penalty from near the right touch line

Wing Oscar James then demonstrated pace and power to break through close to the Bridgwater line, and when fly half, Ashwin infringed in the red zone, he became the first player to be yellow carded. Taylor knocked over the simple penalty from in front of the posts to level the scores.

Despite being a man down, Bridgwater scored their first try of the afternoon to go 8-3 ahead, as James Bryant crashed over from a driving maul. On the stroke of half time, Taylor attempted penalty from just inside his own half but was narrowly short.

After the break, Clevedon dominated the early exchanges but once again had nothing to show for it. Largenton, Taylor and James all went close to crossing for Clevedon's opening try, but all too often the final pass went astray with the line begging.

Bridgwater clawed their way back into the game and began to exert pressure, and this pressure led to Clevedon centre Aaron Rice being sent to the bin. The resulting penalty was kicked to the corner and when Bridgwater set up the inevitable driving maul, replacement flanker Ercolani, powered over for the try.

But 14-man Clevedon continued to attack and after a scything break from Joe Tucker saw the replacement held up agonisingly short of the line, Bridgwater's Gavin Knight joined Rice in the sin-bin. Ercolani soon became the third man to take a ten minute break as Clevedon piled on the pressure, but Bridgwater's defence stood firm.

When Clevedon did eventually get over the line, they could not ground the ball as Rice was held up in goal, and with time ticking away, the visitors held on to take victory.

Clevedon will hoping to return to winning ways this weekend when they travel to Newent.

By Will Carpenter

Team: M.lowis, O.James, A.Rice, M.Taylor, S.Cawley, W.Carpenter, J.Mortimore, B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, W.Trollope, H.Foley, J.Williams, C.Warren, E.Tauribau.Replacements: O.Jones, M.Davis.

Clevedon suffer heavy defeat at Drybrook

CLEVEDON came crashing down to earth with a bang, slumping to a 42-10 reverse to Drybrook in the Forest of Dean.

Aaron Rice crossed for Clevedon's only try of the afternoon while Mike Taylor kicked five points, but the visitors were hindered by ill discipline, which saw them reduced to 14 men on two occasions. Emosi Tauribau and Aaron Rice were the two players to spend time in the sin-bin, although both decisions appeared harsh.

Drybrook raced into a 14-0 lead with two converted tries, before Rice powered his way through the midfield to reduce the deficit.

But the hosts replied almost immediately with a third try, despite what looked like a knock-on in the build up.

Clevedon went close to scoring a second straight from the kick-off as Will Carpenter latched on to a loose ball following a mix-up in the Drybrook ranks, but his offload failed to find the onrushing Rice.

Taylor kicked a penalty to send the sides into the break at 24-10, but the home side replied with a penalty of their own to extend the lead.

A fourth Drybrook try wasn't long in coming and a fifth followed shortly after as 14-man Clevedon, with Rice in the sin-bin, struggled to keep the home side at bay.

Harley Foley was a stand-out performer for Clevedon with a typically dogged display, while Rice was constant threat to the Drybrook defence.

The visitors fought to the final whistle but this was very much an afternoon to forget for them and improvement is needed for the visit of local rivals Bridgwater & Albion on Saturday.

The kick off is at 15:00, preceded by a Vice President's lunch at 13:30.

By Will Carpenter

Team: W.Carpenter, O.James, A.Rice, M.Taylor, J.Tucker, T.Thie, J.Mortimore,B.Largenton, M.Honour, B.Bosley, D.Rawle(c), W.Trollope, H.Foley, H.Russell, E.Tauribau Replacements: J.Williams, C.Warren

Clevedon storm to opening day win

CLEVEDON kicked off the new league season in emphatic style, romping to an eight-try demolition of newly-promoted Coney Hill on the opening day.

Scrum-half Josh Mortimore crossed for a hat-trick of tries for the home side and wing Oscar James scorched over either side of half-time.

Mike Taylor, Tom Thie and man of the match Aaron Rice on debut, completed the rout. Taylor kicked four conversions and a penalty to finish with a 16-point haul.

Clevedon started brightly and were unfortunate not to take the lead as early as the second minute, as Rice smashed his way through a number of tackles to go over from 40 metres, only for play to be called back by the referee.

Taylor kicked the hosts into a 3-0 lead on 10 minutes, before the home side were temporarily reduced to 14-men when Joey Tucker was penalised were a dangerous tackle.

Coney Hill took immediate advantage with the first try of the afternoon, when a speculative kick through bounced fortunately for wing Thomas to touch down.

But Clevedon came roaring back into the game and retook the lead shortly after with Mortimore's first of the afternoon, as the scrum-half spotted a gap in the visiting defence to fly over from 50 metres.

Tucker returned from the sin-bin, and the tables were quickly turned as Coney Hill's Ryan Stephens was shown a red card for a punch on Harley Foley.

Foley was shown a yellow card for the high tackle that led to the altercation, but Clevedon were now firmly in the driving seat. Coney Hill regained the lead with a 25 metre penalty, but the remainder of the half was dominated by the home side, who built up a 22-10 lead by half-time.

Mortimore sniped over for his and Clevedon's second on the half-hour mark, with Taylor adding the extras and the centre was then on hand to release Oscar James for a third score of the half, following strong defensive work from Aaron Rice and Emosi Tauribau.

The second-half continued in similar fashion and the bonus-point was bagged on 50 minutes, with a fine team effort.

A rampaging run from Brian Largenton gained 40 metres before a sweeping handling move saw Taylor crash over from close range. Aaron Rice then capped a man of the match performance with a deserved debut try, breaking a tackle on the blindside to touch down under the sticks.

Another debutant, Fijian Emosi Tauribau rounded off an impressive display with an assist for James' second try, scooping up a loose ball with one hand, before kicking through for the flying winger to sprint on to.

Coney Hill's Andy Mcrae crashed over for a consolation score, but Tom Thie had the final word for Clevedon with a neat finish in the left-hand corner, as Clevedon passed the 50-point mark two minutes before the final whistle.

Clevedon travel to the Forest of Dean next weekend to take on Drybrook.

Clevedon travel to the Forest of Dean next weekend to take on Drybrook.