SIDMOUTH 12 CHOSEN HILL FP 10

Chosen Hill travelled to Sidmouth knowing that a win would almost certainly guarantee them South West One West survival for next season but an injury time drop goal and then a last minute un-awarded penalty cost them the match and saw them drop to eleventh place in the fourteen team league table.

Playing down the slope Sidmouth opened the scoring after seventeen minutes when outside half Dan Retter landed a penalty goal after Chosen were penalised for hands in at a ruck but three minutes later Chosen drew level when the home side were penalised for a similar offence and skipper Andy King landed the penalty goal. Minutes later Chosen lost winger Tom Coles to injury, forcing them to reshuffle their back division to allow coach Martin Roberts to come on in the centre.

On the half-hour Chosen took the lead when their forwards won quick ball at a ruck thirty metres out and back row players Marc and Ian Riddel combined well to send winger Pete Sykes in at the right hand corner. King converted from the touch line to give his side a seven point lead but just before half time Retter reduced the Sidmouth deficit to four points when Chosen were penalised for a high tackle inside their twenty two.

Despite having the advantage of the slope Chosen spent most of the opening fifteen minutes of the second period defending inside their own half and with twenty minutes to go they were still holding onto their narrow four point lead. The Churchdown side then brought on fresh legs in the forwards with Rich Planchant and James Hemming replacing Dan Coleman and Sam Attwooll.

A tense final ten minutes saw Chosen penalised for lifting a Sidmouth player’s leg in a maul and Retter duly converted the penalty goal to leave his side just one point adrift.

It looked as though Chosen were going to hang on for victory but an injury time drop goal from Retter gave his side a two point lead. From the kick-off Chosen went straight on the attack and their forwards drove play deep into the Sidmouth twenty two where quickly rucked ball was spun out towards the left wing and with a two man overlap it looked certain that Chosen would score but a Sidmouth defender knocked the ball forward in flight and rather than award Chosen the penalty that would normally go with a deliberate knock on offence, the referee chose to end the match there and then, cruelly leaving Chosen with no chance to regain the lead.

Next week Chosen entertain St Ives in their final home league match of the season (kick-off 2.15 pm) and they are hoping for as much support as possible to cheer them on.