Sidmouth Under-14s were 12-0 winners when they met Exmouth in a well contested local derby.

If youngsters get the basics right – the score tends to take care of itself and so it transpired in the opening salvo for the greens.

Josh Golding scored both the Sidmouth tries. With the squad size in the Under-14s now up to 25 it meant wholesale changes at half-time.

Debutant Tony Woodroffe quietly stepped onto the pitch and, within two minutes, announced his arrival with the hardest tackle of the game!

Big Jo Elsworth then converted superbly from the touchline.

However, the powerful Cockles forwards then lured Sidmouth into an attritional battle ‘up front’ to deprive the classy Sidmouth three’s from doing too much damage. Jack Marchant, Andrew Donovan, Finlay Jonson and Sam Bond maintained discipline throughout a torrid exchange with the opposition front rows and the referee. Time and again Exmouth’s huge lock was felled by Jo Elsworth, Fin Morgan and Owen Tidball to neutralise any threat. Tids especially had much to consider playing against his old team from last season and he came close to scoring the second try at one stage.

Sidmouth never really looked in trouble and again in the dying moments of the game the three’s worked Golding into enough space to burn Exmouth on the outside to put a polished finish on proceedings.