Were it not for stubborn Albanian defence throughout Redruth would have amassed a cricket score at Woollams.
Were it not for unforced errors and needless penalties Old Albanians would probably have done the same. Too often A’s forced an advantage only to give it away with a lack of precision or by hurrying when care would have been the better option.
Redruth continued their remarkable away record with a bonus point win and will be happy with their workmanlike performance so far from home. They started carefully maintaining position and possession and William Trewin opened the scoring with a penalty five minutes in.
He did the same nearly ten minutes later after Albanians had butchered another propitious situation. The visitors first try came two minutes after another OA mistake in their opponents 22 when, 80 metres down the pitch a perfectly ordinary rolling maul loomed over the home line, hooker Richard Brown the beneficiary.
Then on the half hour another A’s shambles allowed Barker over for Trewin’s conversion.
Then just to show what was possible Elliot McPhun gave Nic Defeo a chance to run through the entire Redruth pack to the posts. Dan Watt converted.
Brown’s second came from another rolling maul just before the whistle.
Then the defining moment. It was all OA’s for the first ten minutes of the second period. But somehow possession was lost and Richard Kevern kicked speculatively from 55 metres. Sam Parsons won the race to the corner.
The visitors seemed to have the hard work done but just after the hour Watt fed Alex Noot 30 metres out and the winger’s dazzling footwork saw him safely over. Watt’s brilliant conversion narrowed the gap and five minutes later Ben Charnock rumbled to the line for Watt to oblige again with the extras.
That was as good as it got for the hosts. Too many mistakes too often taken advantage of by streetwise opponents. A worthy win!
Reporter
