Tiverton almost there after beating Bideford

TIVERTON are one bonuspoint win away from guaranteed promotion out of the Counties Western West division after defeating relegation-worriers Bideford 24-7 in their penultimate game of the league season.

Win number 17 of the season kept Tiverton five points clear of chasers Paignton in the two-horse race for automatic promotion back into Two South West.

Tiverton have not operated that high up the league ladder since the 1999-2000 season.

It could not be much tighter in the scramble for the automatic promotion place out of the division as Tiverton have one more match to play – Penryn at home – and Paignton have two due to a game in hand.

Paignton need to turn that game in hand, which is away to lowly Bude this Saturday, into five points to move level with Tiverton going into the last round of matches.

Tiverton are at home to Penryn on the final day and need a bonus-point win to ensure Paignton do not overtake them. Without the bonus point, they could drop down to second should the Cherries take all five off Plymstock Oaks.

Paignton cannot win more games than Tiverton, only the same number, which means points difference would settle a dead heat.

Tiverton (plus 162) have a substantial advantage in that department.

Tries from Alex Pike and Mike Butt propelled Tiverton into a 10-0 half time lead at Bideford.

Jonny Fairclough and Ben Vickery were the second-half try scorers. Henry Sellick converted both.

Jon Hill, the Tiverton coach, said beating Bideford was a tough ask on a number of different levels.

“It was a very different game from the recent ones when we have scored a lot of points,” said Hill. “Both Bideford’s coaches – Mark Schofield and Tom Skelding – used to be our player-coaches until recently and know how we do things.

“And we made hard work of it at times by blowing a number of try scoring opportunities.

“It took us until the 30th minute to score out first try – then we got another within three or four minutes.

“Ben Vickery scoring the bonuspoint try with 10-12 minutes left meant it was job done for us.

“All we need to do now is do make sure we get one more bonus-point win.”