By Barry Mumford at Lux Park
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL
Liskeard-Looe 31 Veor 3
SELECTION for this match was an awkward affair with nine players from the squad unavailable.
With just 16 players available, they called upon the services of retired veterans Mike Mander on the bench and Lewis Elliott at flanker, and they thought that it would be a difficult fixture.
In the ninth minute with Liskeard in attack, home fly-half Mike McCarthy charged down a clearance kick and followed up, the ball crossed the try line and McCarthy dotted down for the opening try that he converted himself.
On 11 minutes Liskeard gave away a penalty, 38 metres out and right in front of the posts, and this was slotted to get Veor on the board.
Four minutes later Liskeard gave away a scrum penalty and Veor kicked for the corner, but some determined defence cleared the problem.
On 25 minutes, with a move straight off the training pitch, McCarthy passed back inside to centre James Rogers, running a superb angle, to burst through and jink his way to the whitewash to go over for a try that was converted by McCarthy to make it 14-3. There was to be no further scoring before the break in a stop-start half.
The first points of the second half came about when McCarthy forced a turnover of ball and set a move in motion with a series of passes, with wing Alex Kendall racing in from halfway to score a try that was converted by McCarthy.
The try bonus point came from a catch and drive lineout with lock Will Stuart dotting down for an unconverted try.
Liskeard captain, Archie Doidge, then gathered a clearance kick ran it and started a passing move with centre Jack Badnall running in from 30 metres for an unconverted try and the final score of the game.
The view from the touchline a deserved five-point win for the Lions against a determined Veor side in a game that was a very stop/start affair, because of a number of injuries to the visiting players, that curbed the Liskeard flow.
Number eight Adam Dack was voted the supporters’ man of the match for his barnstorming runs. A big thank you to AdrenalineQuarry.co.uk for sponsoring the game.
There is no game this Saturday due to a bye week, so the next fixture is scheduled for Saturday, October 12 when the Lions travel west to take on second-placed Newquay Hornets (3pm) who were 31-24 winners at Hayle on Saturday.
LISKEARD-LOOE: James Noel-Johnson, Alex Kendall, Jack Badnall, James Rogers, Jonas Putna, Mike McCarthy, Callum Beaver; Tony Hicks, Archie Doidge, Jack Wilton, Will Stuart, Oscar Sanders-Mortimer, Lewis Elliott, Andy Rowe, Adam Dack. Replacements: Mike Mander, Billy Edwards.
Tries: McCarthy, Rogers, Kendall, Stuart, Badnall; Convs: McCarthy (3); Pens: N/A.
Liskeard-Looe man of the match: Adam Dack.
By David Sillifant
ELSEWHERE for Cornish Times area clubs in the division there was mixed success.
Title hopefuls Saltash continued their dominant start to the season with a 62-7 hammering of relegated Falmouth at the Recreation Ground, while Bodmin’s tough run of results continued as they were thrashed 72-11 at Perranporth.
Their points came via two Char Parker penalties and a try from Lachlan Blacklaw.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash Seconds narrowly missed out on a bonus point in defeat at Illogan Park.
They were beaten 34-19 at the village side despite tries fromback-rower Freddie Dover, centre Dev Marshall and replacement prop Nick Farley with fly-half Nick Blake adding two conversions.
Lankelly-Fowey made the long trip down to Camborne School of Mines and were beaten 52-5 at Penryn College.