By Barry Mumford
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL (SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21)
Hayle 17 Liskeard-Looe 15
LISKEARD’S last outing before Christmas ended in a narrow defeat in West Cornwall.
The Lions headed down the A30 missing several players, which seems common place these days, but were still able to field a full squad giving senior debuts to newly-registered players William Cameron, who started on the right wing and back-rower Ollie Dunn from the bench.
The match started and Liskeard quickly came under pressure and conceded a converted try after four minutes.
On 11 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty that led to a good lineout opportunity, and a catch and drive was initiated with prop Will Stuart going over for an unconverted try.
On nineteen minutes a clearance kick by Liskeard was gathered by the home side and they ran the ball back going over for a converted try to make it 14-5. There was to be no further scoring before the half-time whistle.
Not a good half at all for Liskeard who couldn’t seem to get going during the first forty minutes and the weather was worsening with heavy rain setting in.
Early in the second half great work by the Liskeard pack sent replacement back-rower Dom Pollard in for an unconverted try to reduce the gap to four at 14-10.
But two minutes later Liskeard fell foul of the referee’s whistle and conceded a penalty which was slotted to make it 17-10.
Back came Liskeard to make a couple of good try-scoring chances but they fell foul of the whistle time after time. In the sixty-eighth minute a catch and drive line-out was finished off by replacement lock Mitch Aram with an unconverted try.
But there was to be no further scoring, and the game finished with a narrow loss for Liskeard, they however managed a losing bonus point.
View from the touchline Liskeard deserved so much more from their second half performance and with the score as it was it was only the difference in the goal kicking that secured the win for Hayle with them slotting all three of their kicks at goal and Liskeard’s Mike McCarthy not hitting one.
The supporters man of the match award, sponsored by the Liskeard and District Sports Association was presented to prop Jack ‘Nimble’ Wilton.
The next match for the Lions is on January 4 when they travel west again to take on bottom club Veor (2.30pm).
It means that at Christmas the Lions are eighth in the 12-team division have played 12 times, winning four and losing eight.
They have two try bonus points and four losing bonus points for finishing within seven points.
LISKEARD-LOOE: Kieran Underhill, William Cameron, Archie Doidge, James Noel-Johnson, Jack Badnall, Mike McCarthy, Greg Gillbard; Will Stuart, Cian Goldsmith, Jack Wilton, Yestin Hutchings, Dan Lethbridge, Andy Rowe, Will Hoskin, Adam Dack. Replacements: Mike Mander, Mitch Aram, Dom Pollard, Ollie Dunn.
Tries: Wilton, Pollard, Aram; Convs: N/A; Pens: N/A.
Liskeard-Looe man of the match: Jack Wilton.
By David Sillifant
COUNTIES TWO CORNWALL
Falmouth 10 Bodmin 7
BODMIN picked up a crucial bonus point, but it could have been so much more after a narrow 10-7 defeat at high-flying Falmouth.
The visitors to the Recreation Ground looking to bounce back from some heavy defeats and competed well.
They trailed 10-0 at the break but fought back thanks to Callum Rowe’s try which was added to by Char Parker’s conversion.