Missed Oppurtunities

Roseland 10   Lankelly-Fowey 19

By Nick Sylvester
In blustery conditions, Roseland and Lankelly fought out a keenly contested match at Philleigh.  At least the rain nearly relented, with Lankelly played downhill in the first half, although the strong crossword was always going to have an effect.

The early exchanges were fairly even with the visitors hefty pack building pressure at the scrum.  After 12 minutes Lankelly took a 5-0 lead, after several phases following a lineout, when their big inside centre scored wide out on the left.  Midway through the half Roseland struck back when Matt Riordan broke through in centre field to be well supported by Scott Pearce who was halted just short of the line.  However quick recycling allowed Christian Benbow to go over wide out.  Further opportunities came and went for both sides before the same Lankelly centre burst through a couple of
tackles to touch down near the posts and convert.  Not to be denied shortly before the break, Roseland took a quick tap penalty near halfway and breaks by Will Rundle and Riordan resulted in Callum Grahamslaw finishing off a smart and timely move in the top left corner.  At 10-12 all was to play for in the second half although Roseland had by now suffered some significant injuries.
Roseland gained a territorial advantage after the break only to be denied by indecision, turnovers and a dogged defence.  As opportunities were spurned, Lankelly grew in confidence the longer the game went on.  After 69 minutes both sides were reduced to 14 men, following a series of niggles and a flare up.  As the clock ran down, Roseland were forced to run a penalty from close to their own line only to be intercepted by Lankelly for a simple converted try in injury time.
Although still an excellent contest, the      10-19 final score said more about the things Roseland didn’t do as much as anything else.  Decision making, leadership and general game management was often lacking although credit is due to some of our newer players who continue to make a significant impact.
Next week sees the stsrt of the all too long awaited league as Roseland entertain Camborne School of Mines at Philleigh (kick off 3.00pm).