Chew edged out in thrilling tussle with title rivals St Austell
CHEW Valley were beaten 31-27 by South West One West title rivals St Austell in Cornwall.
Despite the defeat, the two points taken by Chew could prove important. Table-topping Chew have 87 points with one game left this season, away to fifth-placed Thornbury, while St Austell have 83 points with two games remaining.
Chew, playing down the slope, fell behind on six minutes when, after a series of drives close in, the ball was moved wide for a try for Frazer Nutall on the right wing. Matt Shepherd kicked the conversion.
On 14 minutes, Jack Monk was at the back of a maul driven over the line from a five-metre line-out. Fullback Miles Moorhouse added the conversion to make it 7-7.
On 18 minutes, missed tackles and a hard line by centre Ben Plummer gave the hosts a second try, converted by Shepard.
A fumble in the dead-ball area and a five-metre scrum allowed Ben Mead, at scrum-half, the chance t o dart through for a second Chew try.
The counter-ruck proved fruitful for the visitors and, after the ball was held up, the ball went wide for Moorhouse to score a try and make it 17-14 to Chew.
Early in the second half, a penalty, at what appeared to be a dominant scrum, was put to the corner, with the maul driven to the line to put the hosts back in the lead, with hooker Brandon Hatch the scorer.
On 50 minutes, the visitors opted for a scrum from a penalty in front and centre Joe Cowell scored to collect the try bonus point. Zac Kavanagh missed the conversion.
Monk dropped the restart to gift field position and, despite a Charles Shallcross turnover, a penalty in front was converted by Shepard to make it 24-22 to St Austell.
A Kavanagh chip ahead and a mistake by the full-back gave Chew good field position. With Jonny Eves on in the front row, a pushover try by No 8 Alex Cox eased Chew back in front.
A scrum penalty to the corner threatened but an Alex Cox turnover relieved the pressure. However, Cowell saw yellow on 68 minutes.
Chew Valley survived a period of pressure thereafter until Moorhouse forced a knock-on out wide on 72 minutes.
When Mead was seemingly taken out off the ball from a scrum, the St Austell No 8 picked up the ball and it led to a try for fly-half Chris Ashman. Shepard kicked the conversion to make it 31-27 with five minutes to go.
There was late pressure from Chew but the visitors were unable to deny the home side victory. Chew’s final game at Thornbury will be on Saturday, April 23.
Keynsham, meanwhile, won 40-13 at North Petherton to stand sixth in the table with 13 wins and nine defeats from 22 games.