Clevedon slip to agonising away defeat despite late fightback

Alex Giltrow had a late try ruled out for the visitors in a game that saw them play part of the second-half with just 12 men.

The prop’s powerful run from a quickly taken penalty appeared to take him over the whitewash to touch down, but the referee adjudged the ball had been held up and Drybrook held on to take the win.

Dean Ashfield capped an impressive individual performance with Clevedon’s only try of the afternoon and Mike Taylor kicked two penalties, but it wasn’t enough for the visitors who were forced to settle for a losing bonus-point.

Clevedon took the lead courtesy of a Taylor penalty, but the hosts drew level in identical fashion on the 15 minute mark.

Taylor’s second penalty restored the visitor’s lead shortly after, but Drybrook soon crossed for the opening try of the afternoon with a close range effort.

Early in the second-half, five minutes of madness saw Clevedon reduced to 12-men courtesy of three sin-binnings.

Mike Taylor was the first to be shown a yellow card, as he took the brunt for numerous Clevedon offences in their own 22 – and Lowis followed immediately after for dissent.

Then, after the 13-men had fought their way out of their own half, Harvey Russell was sin-binned for a punch to leave the visitors severely depleted and right up against it.

Clevedon fought back to keep the hosts at bay for 12 minutes before returning to their full allocation, but a breakaway try on the hour mark saw Drybrook extend their lead to 15-6.

Straight from the kick-off, an error from the home side saw Trollope carry deep into their half – and with the ball moved left to right, Taylor’s neat offload found Ashfield to canter over from 15 metres and give Clevedon a lifeline.

The rest of the game was all Clevedon, as they battered away at the Drybrook line for the final ten minutes.

After Owen Biggins had been held up over the line, Giltrow caught the defence napping with a quickly taken penalty and appeared to ground the ball for the winning score, but the referee chalked his effort off – and when Lowis was held up two metres out shortly after, the final whistle put an end to proceedings.