EXMOUTH 33pts PENRYN 17pts

THINGS didn't quite go to plan when Penryn played at Exmouth last week. This was one of the target wins if the Borough are to maintain a challenge for promotion, but instead the Cockles took the Borough apart in the last 20 minutes and turned a 10-point deficit in to a 33 - 17 win.

The conditions were atrocious, the pitch a quagmire and there was a thin veneer of fine rain. But it was the same for each side and Exmouth's big pack, backed up by an excellent scrum half performance from Gary Hooper, ran riot in the last quarter.

The day started badly with a traffic delay on the Goss Moor, so that the late arrival left little time for the coaches to go through the pre-match warm-up drills.

In the first 15 minutes of the game, centre Rodger Mattson ran through the Borough defence to score after some good work by Bob Armstrong and Hooper. Winger Dean Chisling converted, but this seemed to give a wake up signal to the visitors who came back with a Martin Strick penalty goal and an 80-metre interception run by James Greville Smith. Strick's conversion gave the Borough a half-time lead of 10-7.

Two minutes in to the second half a three-quarter move involving Richard Hambly and Sheldon Waetford let Chris Mann in for another try. With Martin Strick's conversion, the Borough began to look as though they would win. But injuries to lock Allen Jordan and flanker James Mann depleted the pack and the big Exmouth eight started to get on top.

After persistent pressure from the Cockles, Borough let in Hooper, but the conversion failed, and at 12 -17 it looked as though the visitors would hold on, but they were sunk by three tries in the last quarter.

Hooper twice went over after good work from the Exmouth pack close to the Borough line; the result was sealed when Penryn tried desperately to run out of defence and lost the ball, which was picked up by No 8 Damien O'Connor to give a final try count of five to two.

Chisling's conversions completed the score and gave Borough their fourth away defeat when over 30 points were scored against them.

At the end of the day this was not one of Borough's better performances, and they must win their remaining home matches to ensure they end up in the top half of the table. All is not lost for there are some difficult games ahead for leaders Brixham and Gloucester Old Boys. There is no clear cut leader in the league either, with only three points separating the top five teams.

Unfortunately it is increasingly looking as though the runner-up in South West 2 West will have to travel East for the play off because the Eastern situation is much clearer with two teams, Swanage and Maidenhead, each being eight points ahead of the rest of the teams in South West Two East. There appears to be a good case for play-offs to be on a neutral ground or at least on a home and away basis.

The Borough's 2nd XV also made the journey to Exmouth and were unlucky to lose by 21 points to five. The solitary score was a try by Trevor Lampshire.