Devon Sport
RUGBY: Late penalty from Pearce gives Cullompton victory
8:10am Tuesday 21st February 2012
ADAM Pearce showed steely resolve to bang over a 40 metre touchline penalty in the seventh minute of injury time to give Cullompton a 21-18 victory over Thornbury on Saturday, writes Edwin Baker.
Cully had started the match badly when the visitors' opening dropout went straight into touch and the Cully put in at the lineout overshot the jumper.
It landed in the hands of Thornbury hooker Luke Workman who quickly overcame his surprise and charged upfield for centre Tim Stevens to take on the ball and touch down a try he converted himself.
On six minutes the visitors added a fine try to this gift, when a passing move through four players culminated in a try in the corner for scrum half Jak Evans after getting past the last defender with a well sold dummy.
Cullompton's reply began three minutes later when the captain and centre, Jemba Bull, took on a well-disguised back pass in midfield from fly-half Alex Brooks and ran straight through to score as the Thornbury players looked on as if transfixed by Bull's athletic prowess.
Two penalties by centre Pearce pulled the score back to 11-12 on the half hour before Stevens replied with two for Thornbury for 11-18 at the break.
Not releasing a tackled player was not tolerated by competent London Society referee John Rose as prop Henry Weekes and Thornbury's winger Rob Higget both discovered as they went to the bin.
Cully seemed to be meandering to another bonus point loss when on 70 minutes the experienced Brooks tapped a 22 metre dropout, catching the Thornbury defence scattered over the pitch.
Quick hands through Pearce and flanker Sam Harris released winger Marcus Busch to go in at the corner and with Pearce's touchline conversion it was honours even at 18-18.
An action-packed finale saw a Brooks drop-goal attempt charged down before a Thornbury scrum was turned over and a series of rucks which ended with a penalty against the visitors for going in at the side.
Pearce did the rest.