CHOSEN HILL FP 19 CULLOMPTON 15

With their long term injury crisis still not over, Chosen fielded a new look side that included scrum half Tom Bangs who was making his first appearance of the season and seventeen year old debutant flanker Rob Panting. Both were to make significant contributions to an all round team effort that was full of endeavour and commitment.

Playing up the slope Chosen were quickly into their stride with forwards and backs combining well to take play deep into Cullompton territory and for nearly all of the opening ten minutes it was Chosen who looked most likely to score but sound Cullompton defence kept them at bay.

A yellow card after thirteen minutes for Cullompton flanker Sam Harris brought hope of a Chosen score as full back Mark Yemm kicked for touch inside the visitors twenty-two but the line-out was well defended and in fact it was the visitors who eventually opened the scoring after thirty minutes with a penalty goal from centre Adam Pearce.

A second Pearce penalty four minutes later gave his side a six point lead but Chosen hit back and on the stroke of half time Yemm landed a long range penalty goal to keep his side right in the match.

Yemm opened the second half scoring with a penalty goal that levelled the scores and as the half progressed several dangerous looking Cullompton attacks were halted as the ball was either dropped or knocked on as the Chosen backs harried and pressurised their opposite numbers.

A yellow card for Chosen centre Gareth Hending resulted in Pearce landing a penalty goal to put the visitors back in front but five minutes later Yemm replied with his third penalty goal. As Hending returned, Chosen lost flanker Tom Gyde to the sin-bin and Cullompton regained the lead as Pearce landed penalty goal number four.

The tuning point of the game came after sixty five minutes. Chosen were on the attack thirty metres from the Cullompton line when outside-half Matt Elston spotted that the Cullompton defence had come up very flat and he put a well placed and perfectly weighted grubber kick behind them. Scum half Bangs chased through and as the ball came to a halt just over the Cullompton try line me was pulled back by a Cullompton player thus ending his chance to touch down. The referee immediately ran to the posts and awarded a penalty try which Yemm converted to put his side in front by four points.

A nail biting final five minutes saw Pearce land his fifth penalty goal to put Cullompton just one point behind but Chosen had the final say and sealed victory when Yemm, who had kicked immaculately all afternoon, landed his fourth penalty goal.

For Chosen this was an opportunity to put aside the disappointment of the previous three months and the team spirit and commitment shown by all of their players gives them renewed hope for the second half of the season which starts with an away match against Paignton on 7th January.