Redruth dig in to batter Barnstaple

By BILL HOOPER

Redruth……………….. 31 

Barnstaple……………..0

REDRUTH coped with appalling playing conditions as they did the necessary to grind out a win against Barnstaple.

The Reds will be disappointed not to have got the bonus-point try, but once again fly-half Fraser Honey put them in the right areas of the pitch and showed what an accomplished goalkicker he is.

It didn’t take long for Redruth to get on the front foot and get their driving game into gear.

Following several phases near the Barnstaple line, it was prop Tommy Phillips who crashed over near the posts for the opening try, converted by Honey.

Redruth lost flanker Sam Stevens early on to a shoulder injury, which gave young Kaiden Carne an opportunity to display his talents.

Phillips and his fellow forwards revelled in the conditions as Redruth bossed the game.

Honey nudged the Reds further ahead with three penalties before the break, the third a prodigious effort from half-way, 15 metres in from touch.

Honey slotted a fourth penalty soon after the restart, but he couldn’t better hooker Richard Brown’s try from an unstoppable lineout drive.

Barnstaple lost a couple of players to yellow cards as the pressure told and a powerful Reds drive led to a penalty try.