Sidmouth 2nds 11 Devonport Services 41 Sidmouth’s hope of reversing the earlier season away defeat to the same opposition was blown away by the visitor’s second half performance.

Sidmouth opened the scoring after five minutes, Ben Ward slotting a penalty when Services strayed offside.

Keeping the ball through several phases Devonport scored wide out, nearly adding a second if they hadn’t kicked the ball past the dead ball area.

Ward then hit the post with a long range penalty, which gave the boys in green momentum, only for the ball to be dropped just inside their own half which was snapped up and returned for another Devonport try.

Sidmouth who then had their best spell in the match, Johnny Hamil who works tirelessly for the team scored up the blind-side. Ben Ward struck another well taken penalty and Sidmouth took an 11-10 lead into the break.

Playing down the slope should have been in Sidmouth’s favour, but the visitors who stepped up their game and were very much fitter, ran in four tries, two converted, for a comfortable lead.

Captain Stuart Bickerstaff was then sent off, in the same manner as Welsh captain Sam Warbarton in the last world cup, harshly in most people’s eyes, but not to the man with the whistle. Despite being a man down for 15 minutes Sidmouth only conceded one more converted try.

It was good to see Dan Trim complete 80 minutes, the efforts of Jack Preston and Roger Goulding in the second half shouldn’t go unnoticed. Good luck to James Salter who is off to the Falkland Islands for three months with work, will be missed by all the team. This week the Quins travel to Cullompton.