BUDE are just three points behind third-placed Plymstock Albion Oaks following a 19-3 victory at struggling Tavistock on Saturday.

The recalled Fred Saxton scored both tries as the visitors led 14-3 at half-time before Finley Fry’s 53rd minute score confirmed the North Cornwall club’s third away win of the season.

Bude were without Angus Hodges, Chris Allin, Joel Troke, Simon Jeffery and Rory Hodges and had to draft in veterans Mark Kendrick and Paul Cholwill to the bench, but it didn’t matter in wet conditions at Sandy Park.

They took the lead on 12 minutes as Saxton, standing at number eight in place of Joe Wilson who was required at hooker, picked the ball up at the base of an attacking scrum and crashed over from ten metres out. Skipper Olly Denford converted.

A second converted try arrived ten minutes later. This time a penalty was awarded and with the home side gathering themselves set, Saxton took it quickly and again proved impossible to stop.

Most of the game was played in the middle of the field with try-scoring opportunities at a premium.

However, the visitors allowed Tavistock to get on the scoreboard two minutes before the half-time whistle as referee Ian Freestone penalised Bude for offside on their own 22. Full-back James Lovering slotted the three-pointer.

Bude knew that a third-try would put considerable distance between the two sides and it arrived on 53 minutes.

From a Bude scrum on their own 22, the ball worked out to winger Brad Thomas, who with nowhere to go, kicked downfield. Lovering ran forward and knocked it on allowing the onrushing Tremaine Fry to pick the ball up and pass to his brother Finley who had the easy task of running the ball in.

Bude kept the Moorlanders pinned in their own half with a series of kicks and thought they had secured a bonus point midway through the half.

A nice backs move saw winger Ryan Butler get the ball and dodge two tacklers before crossing the line. However the home touch judge stated that his foot had gone in to touch.

With nothing to lose, the hosts finally gained some momentum and penned Bude in their own 22 in the latter stages. But the visiting defence held firm to secure a fourth straight league win.

Player/coach Angus Hodges was delighted with his team’s work in his absence.

He said: “It was another good away win and keeps up our good recent form. The key for us now is to keep up our momentum and keep taking steps forward in our performances, because the last few games are going to be tougher, especially with the amount of away games we have left. We can’t afford to take our eye off the boil.”

Bude head down to Veor on Saturday, and Hodges believes how Bude approach it will make the difference.

He said: “We played them early on in the season so it’ll be interesting to see how much learning they’ve done and how they’ve adapted to the league. They have nothing to lose really as they’re safe, so they’ll be trying to finish the season in a positive way.

“But all we can do is focus on ourselves. We should have a few players back and the main thing that can disrupt us is them being more up for it than us.”

In Kernow League Group Three, Bude Seconds lost 27-7 to their St Austell counterparts at Bencoolen Meadow. Shaun Andrew was the home try scorer.