South West One West

St Austell 25, Bridgwater & Albion 17

BRIDGWATER & Albion’s season began with a 25-17 defeat at Cornish side St Austell - in a game that saw the visitors play over an hour with 14-men – but the performance was an encouraging one, writes Tony Pomeroy.

Nick Francis and Nick Spellissy crossed for Albion’s two tries, but they were left facing an uphill battle when Ali Blundell was red carded in just the 12th minute for dangerous play at the ruck.

Bridgwater had the better of the opening exchanges as both sides struggled to shed their cobwebs, but it was the home side on the scoreboard first.

From a scrum on their own 10 metre line, scrum half Sam Tank broke clear before the ball found flanker Paul Winterbottom, who gathered and romped to the line. Andy Ashwin converted to give the home side a 7-0 lead.

Minutes after this came the Blundell red card - Bridgwater cleared the immediate penalty danger and many petty squabbles broke out as players of both sides vented their anger - the result of all this was a yellow card for home flanker Jack Grigg.

Stu Heal got Albion on the board with a simple penalty, before Rob Allen, who ran powerfully all afternoon, puy debutant Martin away and he found Francis for a well-worked try.

Heal did not miss and Bridgwater were in the lead at 10-7 – but straight from the kick off, a St Austell player was tackled in the air as he caught the kick off and Ashwin landed the penalty.

Just like the first half, St Austell broke the stranglehold with a break by full back Dan Pearce to put his side on the attack.

They spurned a kickable penalty on the quest for a try and they were rewarded when, from a scrum in the Bridgwater 22, Rob Jeffs picked up and fed Tanks who benefitted from the missing Bridgwater back row forward and ran in unopposed for a try converted by Ashwin.

St Austell immediately got their third try through flanker Grigg but Ashwin showed mercy and missed the kickable conversion.

Nick Spellissy scored a second for Albion and Jervis Manupenu converted, but they were unable to score again and a late Ashwin penalty denied the visitors a well-deserved bonus-point.

Albion host Thornbury next weekend and will be looking for a win to kick start the season.