Old Centralians 25 Camborne 15
Camborne's dreams of securing National League rugby status after a 17 year absence will have to be put on hold for another year after a strong second half display by Old Centralians denied the Cornish side, writes Dick Straughan.
In blustery conditions Camborne started well and after both teams had lost a man to the sin-bin – Hunt for Camborne and Knapman for the home side – following a dust-up in the Old Centralians 22, they took the lead. Camborn's pack drove over the line from a well-wroked driving lineout move and Ashley Lawton claimed the score.
But an error on the half hour mark saw Thirlby`s clearance kick charged down and Liam Hemming released wing Joe Preece to score in the corner. Worse was to follow as Hemming nicked a wayward pass on half-way and raced in unopposed from 50 metres to score, but a fine Camborne try from Richie Kevern in stoppage time converted by Thirlby made it 14-12 at the break.
Old Centralians however dominated the second half playing down the slope and getting the best from the conditions.
Camborne conceded a string of penalties, lost Lawton and Luke Johnson to the sin bin for different offences and apart from a Thirlby penalty cancelling out a 42nd minute Hemming effort remained largely pinned inside their own 22.
Twice the Old Centralians pack were denied by a heroic defensive effort being held up over the line and it wasn`t until the 68th minute when wing Rob Jones made the most of a three-man overlap to score his 17th try of the season.
Hemming's penalty two minutes from the end rubbed salt into the Camborne wounds but it was a deserved win for the Gloucestershire outfit.
But there was better luck for Cornwall 1 runners-up Stithians who clinched a place in the Cornwall & Devon League with a 17-12 home win over devon One runners-up Plymstock Albion Oaks
Old Centralians
May, J.Preece, Hemming, Townsend, Jones, Knight, Garrot; S.Preece, Stroud, Fritchley (capt), Phillips, Willetts, Slatter, Knapman (sin bin 10-20), Pinkney
Replacements (all used) – Mumford, West, Huxtable, Gwilliam
Tries – Preece, Hemming, Jones
Cons – Hemming (2)
Pens – Hemming (2)
Yellow Card – Knapman
Camborne
Parma, Hunt (sin-bin 10-20), R.Kevern, Kenward, Johnson (sin-bin 64-74), G.Thirlby, Jackson; Endean, Bartle, Hearn, Griffiths, Lawton (sin-bin 53-63), Woolcock, J.Goldsworthy, Roberts (capt)
Replacements (all used) – Notman, Webster, Kemp, M.Goldsworthy
Tries – Lawton, Kevern
Con – Thirlby
Pen – Thirlby
Yellow Cards – Hunt, Johnson, Lawton
Referee – C.Newton (RFU)
