Western Counties League (West)

Bude 35

St Ives 22

DAN Pearce scored a scintillating hat-trick as Bude celebrated their ‘If you played with Derek Hart’ day with an exhilarating 35-22 victory over St Ives, which the process, moved them out of the relegation zone with just three games to go.

Earlier in the season, the in-form West Cornwall visitors outclassed a weakened Bude 92-0, and with such talent in their ranks, Bude knew that anything but a perfect performance would surely end in defeat.

The game began with the immensely powerful Bude pack of forwards achieving a clear ascendency in the scrum and maul relentlessly driving back the opposition. However, they failed to get the points their play deserved.

St Ives then, despite being totally dominated at scrum time, came back into the game and indeed looked very threatening when they moved the ball wide to their back division.

It was Bude, however, who opened the scoring when following another powerful scrum, they moved the ball first left and then right with crisp passing and forceful running to create space wide on the right that the flying feet of Dan Pearce were only to pleased to accept. He scorched over the line for a fine team try. His conversion attempt into a strong breeze was unsuccessful.

Against such forward strength, St Ives struggled to set free their talented backs but one breakaway did result in them being awarded a penalty when Bude were adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball forward. Sadly the attempted kick was blown badly astray by the capricious wind.

Bude further increased their advantage when a muscular surge and an exquisite offload by centre Matt Trewin gave Pearce just the room he needed to race away from a desperate covering defence for his second try. This time his conversion attempt was blown off course at the last minute and struck a post.

The Hakes did manage to open their account on the stroke of half-time when prop Tom Chandler forced his way across the line for an unconverted try to make it 10-5.

The second-half opened with Bude increasing their lead through Pearce’s penalty. St Ives then brought on a couple of replacements and this seemed to bring more cohesion to their game. Good handling and incisive running created the opportunity for flanker Archie MacKay to beat a couple of defenders and score close to the posts. Jordan Gott slotted over the conversion to reduce the Bude lead to one point.

With their lead under threat, the Bude forwards, led by Adam Black, James Comber and Angus Hodges reasserted their dominance. A series of strength sapping rolling mauls was too much for the beleaguered St Ives defence to withstand and Bude skipper Ryan Vincent was able to thrust himself over the line to increase the lead. Pearce landed the conversion to make it 20-12.

St Ives were determined to leave Bencoolen Meadow with something to show for their efforts. They hammered away at the Bude line with wave after wave of attack that was valiantly repulsed by a series of last-ditch tackles with Tremaine Fry, Charlie Wotton and Andy Yates unstinting in their willingness to lay their bodies on the line for the cause.

Despite all the defensive heroics, St Ives were not to be denied as full-back Jordan Gott shimmied his way through the exhausted defensive line for a fine try that he converted to bring St Ives once again to within one point of Bude.

Once again it was the Bude forwards who rescued the situation and another powerful drive at the St Ives line was rewarded when Ollie Mounce sneaked over for Bude’s bonus point try that Pearce again converted.

The see-saw battle continued and Gott’s outstanding, considering the difficult wind, penalty kick reduced Bude’s lead to a meagre five points to make victory within St. Ives’ grasp only for Bude to dampen their enthusiasm when following another crunching scrum drive which was illegally halted, Dan Pearce kicked another penalty.

The visitors then laid siege to the Bude line in an attempt to achieve a bonus point try. Unfortunately for them a looping pass intended for the winger was snaffled by Dan Pearce who ran the length of the field to seal his hat-trick and more importantly guarantee yet another victory at fortress Bencoolen Meadow.

Adam Black’s men are in action again this Saturday when they make the vitally important trip to Crediton who are, like Bude, on 39 points but are a place behind due to Bude’s eight wins compared to the Devon club’s seven.

Bude:

Tries: Pearce 3, Vincent, Mounce

Convs: Pearce 2

Pens: Pearce 2

St Ives:

Tries: Chandler, Mackay, Gott

Convs: Gott 2

Pen: Gott

In other club news, Bude’s second team defeated Bideford thirds 45-19 points in an entertaining match on the Stade de Marsh, the highlight of which was undoubtedly a try by the man of the day, Derek Hart, who belied his 67 years to fly in for try in what he claims will be his final appearance in Bude colours.