Case for a defence as Albion roll on and up
PLYMOUTH ALBION head coach Kieran Hallett is targeting a top half finish in National One after his side recorded their seventh win in eight at home to Cinderford.
The mid-table battle saw two in-form sides come together, with Cinderford coming off the back of three straight wins and Albion having recorded impressive January away wins at Caldy and Blackheath.
Amid difficult conditions in the South West the home side looked the more controlled, with Hallett giving a mixed review of the game.
“Our defence was effective all game but we gave away too many penalties in the second half and left a bonus point out there,” commented the Albion head coach.
“To turn around our poor early season form is proving impressive. Seven out of eight wins on the bounce is good.
“They can now look confidently into the final months of the season with a top-half finish well within their reach.”
Plymouth started strongly, with Cameron Setter supporting a Matt Shepherd break and scoring close to the posts, with Shepherd then duly converting. The home side’s first-half dominance conhad tinued and following a yellow card for Cinderford prop James Elliot, Jamie Salter scored a try following a wellrehearsed lineout and drive in the 17th minute.
Both sides showed great determination and skill in both defence and attack, with Plymouth’s Connor Eastgate and Setter holding a slight upper hand as they controlled territory into a tricky wind, ensuring that a 14-0 half-time lead was a base to build a victory.
The second half was a strange affair, until the latter stages when Cinderford gained dominance in the scrums and began to release a series of attacks on the Plymouth line.
Danny Pointon’s penalty in the 51st minute indicated that the match was far from over.
A yellow card for Salter in the 64th minute was soon followed by a catchand-drive and a try for Cinderford hooker Nathan Taylor.
Pointon’s conversion lifted the quality of the match and the final stages had the 1,069 strong crowd on their feet as Cinderford threw all their efforts at a spirited recovery.
It was Plymouth who the last say as Setareki Raumakita rounded off an impressive performance as he stormed under the posts with seven minutes remaining.
Shepherd’s third conversion denied the opposition a bonus point.
Cinderford director of rugby Paul Morris praised
the opposition: “A lot of credit to Plymouth, the right side won the game. It was a really difficult game and we had the edge in the scrum.
“Plymouth’s line speed was all encompassing and credit to their coaches for enabling that quality defence.”