Visitors see red as sub Mackenzie seals bonus
Redruth…………. 24pts
Hinckley………….. 5pts
This promised to be a titanic battle between two evenly matched sides and it certainly did not disappoint.
In the end it was the home side who prevailed with replacement hooker Mackenzie Oliver bagging the vital bonus point try.
Hinckley will rue two red cards during the second half, both incidents also seeing a Redruth player receive a yellow card.
Redruth’s backs coach Richie Kevern was delighted with his side’s overall performance.
He said: “It was a tough game, we expected that from a Hinckley side that have been going well this season, they have a big pack on a heavy pitch suits them to the ground.
“We knew we needed to be on our best form today and I think we did that.
“We didn’t panic when they had their dominant periods, we defended very well and then took our chances when they came.
“Playing down the slope first half we would have liked a bigger cushion at half-time, and I am sure Hinckley at that point fancied their chances.
“The first red card for them and then Ben Fox getting our third try soon afterwards was the turning point in the game.”
It was every tight early on with both sides having opportunities but precision was lacking at crucial moments.
Redruth’s back three of Dean Bonds, Lewis Thomas and Harry Andrewartha looked very lively, Bonds popping up all over the pitch both in defence and attack. The opening score came at the end of the first quarter.
A penalty to Redruth was kicked to the corner by fly-half Fraser Honey, the resulting catch and drive saw hooker Richard Brown score off the back of the powerful drive. Honey adding the extras.
Hinckley didn’t take long to respond.
A good break from scrum-half Ben Pointon won his side a penalty that full-back Joe Wilson kicked into the corner.
While the initial drive off the lineout was countered, second phase saw the ball moved wide for wing Sam Everett to dot down an unconverted try. Brown repeated his earlier try with a carbon copy of the first with Honey obliging for a second time with the conversion.
Hinckley withstood early Redruth pressure at the beginning of the second half before getting good field position deep in the Redruth twenty-two.
TEAMS
REDRUTH: Bonds, Andewartha, Welch, Kevern, Thomas, Honey, Rutter, Phillips, Brown, Gendall, Pascoe, Barker, Fox, King, Hayler. Replacements: Oliver, Barnes, Buzza, King, Hall. HINCKLEY: Wilson, Sleightholme, Lamb,Trinder, Everett, Heard, Pointon, Harper,Bowyer, Greening, Ramshaw, Weaver, Bower, Gaffan, Salt. Replacements: Coltman, Bartlett, Norton, Leonard, Nixon.
REFEREE: Ben Wood ATTENDANCE: 829
Star man Dean Bonds -Redruth
As Hinckley looked to strike, there was an intervention from the assistant referee with one of the visitors seeing red. A good break from scrum-half Dan Rutter led to Redruth’s third try scored by skipper Ben Fox.
Hinckley felt the game slipping away and their frustrations mounted. Back chat saw them marched back ten meters near their line as Redruth went for the jugular.
Another catch and drive saw Oliver score and Hinckley’s second red card of the game to ensure a victory for the home side.
