By Barry Mumford

COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL

St Just 21 Liskeard-Looe 19

LISKEARD-LOOE picked up a bonus point in a close contest in West Cornwall, but travelled back disappointed it wasn’t more.

For the longest trip of the season there were just 16 players available and with a lack of second row options (none were available to travel), Lewis Elliott and Cian Goldsmith moved forward from their roles as flankers.

Liskeard started well and put the youthful St Just side under intense pressure during which they were stopped on several occasions near the home try-line, including one when they did cross the line, but the referee deemed the ball to have been held up.

But they got their reward in the 29th minute as good passing got the ball to centre Jack Badnall who dotted down for a good try that went unconverted.

St Just, in the 35th minute, managed to a converted try against the run of play.

In stoppage time, with Liskeard again on the attack, smart thinking by captain Archie Doidge in quickly taking a tap penalty, crashed over for a try that was converted by fly-half Mike McCarthy to take the half-time score to 12-7 in Liskeard’s favour.

It had been a good half although frustrating as the Lions couldn’t turn all their pressure into more points.

On the hour mark, centre James Noel-Johnson, running out of defence, set up a ruck, around the home 22-metre line. And with Badnall coming through the gate picked the ball up and burst through the St Just defence to race in for his second try, with McCarthy adding the extras for 19-7.

But the home side are made of stern stuff and produced a fightback.

On 65 minutes, at a Lions scrum deep in their 22, the ball went loose and a St Just player dotted down. The referee awarded a try even though it looked, from the touchline, that he had been offside. That was converted to make it 19-14.

In the 75th minute Liskeard were reduced to 14 men when prop Tony Hicks sustained a knee injury. Not long after, a clearance touch kick was put in by the Lions, the ball came off the hand of a St Just player and went into touch.

But the referee thought that was not the case and awarded the lineout to the Tigers, and from this they ran the ball and scored a try out on the touchline.

This was converted to seal the despair of Liskeard with a win for the hosts at 21-19. St Just’s try scorers were Harvey Stone, Kenny Jones and Trev Dugdale with the latter slotting the conversions.

The view from the touchline was this was a very frustrating afternoon for the Lions in a match, using the old adage, they had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and the fact they couldn’t turn all their pressure throughout the game into more points.

The Liskeard supporters’ man of the match, sponsored by the Liskeard and District Sports Association, went to young flanker Will Hoskin for his all-round performance.

The next match is this Saturday with Illogan Park the visitors to Lux Park, for a first round game in the CRFU Club Cup (2pm).

LISKEARD-LOOE: Kieran Underhill, Alex Kendall, Jack Badnall, James Noel-Johnson, Sean Simmons, Mike McCarthy, Callum Beaver; Mike Mander, Archie Doidge (capt), TJ Hicks, Cian Goldsmith, Lewis Elliott, Andy Rowe, Will Hoskin, Adam Dack. Replacement: Dom Pollard.

Tries: Badnall (2), Doidge; Convs: McCarthy (2); Pens: N/A.

Liskeard-Looe man of the match: Will Hoskin.