Perranporth 15 - 28 Cullompton

Cullompton have finally claimed their first league win of the season in Cornwall.

They returned from the Duchy celebrating a 28-15 success against Perranporth in a game dominated by a howling wind. Cully started with the gusts behind them and, after kicking a penalty to the corner, flanker Jeremy Turner powered over the resultant catch-and-drive. Jack Hawkins' conversion attempt just failed, but the day seemed destined to belong to the visitors.

The home side had other ideas, and the quick-thinking scrum half took the ball up the short side off a scrum and squeezed through the Cully defence to score. The extras were missed but Cullompton knew it was 'game on' and the forwards began to take control.

The hosts began to concede penalties and, with Cully strong in the scrum and lines-out, it was no surprise when half backs Hawkins and Brooks engineered an excellent move. Paul Baker's speed took him past the defence to score at the posts and give Hawkins a simple conversion. The same player then kicked a penalty to cancel out a similar Perranporth kick moments earlier.

The move of the match soon followed when Joe Canning produced a powerful break through the centre. When he was finally stopped, the forwards combined in a handling move to send No.8 Chris Griffiths over in the corner and give Cully a 23-8 lead at the break.

In the second half, Cully's pack decided to combat the wind by mauling the ball while Paul Surridge and Finn Kittow took good line-out ball. And after a 30m maul, Rob Hammett scored to give the guests the start they needed for the second half. Perranporth then used the conditions to reduce the arrears, but they were denied on regular occasions by some excellent tackling from Adrian Baily, Baker and Marcus Busch.

Cully are in Devon Cup action at Topsham this Saturday before title favourites Paignton come to Stafford Park on February 17.

Coach Charlie Mahon said: "It was a solid performance and the most pleasing feature for me was the dominance of our pack as a unit. "Without doubt it was the pack's most cohesive display since I arrived at Stafford Park.

"They have improved five fold since the start of the season and these are the sort of games that any of the leading sides could quite easily fail to win." The Cully coach was quick to make another important point, and said: "One thing I have identified is that there seems to be a current mindset amongst us that, if we don't win posting 50 points on the board, then we haven't performed. "But I don't hold that view. Champagne rugby is wonderful but, from a technical point of view, I prefer a winning mentality rather than a style ethos."