By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
DEVONPORT Services came from behind to beat Brixham 33-27 in a thrilling Devon Senior Cup final at the Rectory
Services were never ahead from the fifth minute of the match until the hour mark when wing Matt Richards went over in the corner to put them 22-20 up.
Even then there was plenty of drama to come in the last quarter as Brixham regained the lead again despite having a player sent off to sit 27-25 up with two minutes left on referee Fergus Connolly’s watch.
With two minutes to play Brixham gave away a penalty in kicking range and Kieran Down popped it over for a one-point lead.
And six minutes into stoppage time Tyler Busfield scored from a penalty line-out to put settle the destination of the cup.
It was Services first win in the Devon Cup final in their 111-year history and was greeted with scenes of jubilation on the pitch and in the main grandstand.
Brixham will no doubt reflect on the effect of losing players to cards in the second half. They were down to 13 for a while and 14 men permanently when J P Simonetti was sent off for his second yellow-card offence.
Brixham will no doubt reflect on the effect of losing players to cards in the second half. They were down to 13 for a while and 14 men permanently when J P Simonetti was sent off for his second yellow-card offence.
Adam Thomas, the Brixham coach, warned before the game that yellow cards could prove costly. And he was right.
“Our lack of discipline killed us,” said Thomas. “It is hard to win when you go down to 14 or 13 and we knew that before the match.
“Another problem was our high penalty count, which was down to us doing things we don’t normally do. Perhaps the sense of occasion got to us and players lost concentration?
“What was really frustrating was to claw it back at the end to go 27-25 up, then to give away a penalty almost immediately and let Services get back in front.”
Kieran Leach, the Services team manager, said the second-half comeback showed the resilience of the team at its best.
“Brixham scored just before half time to go 20-12 up and there were a lot of dead heads in the dressing room during the break,” said Leach.
“The half-time talk was about realising what we had to do to raise our game and we went out and did it.
“We defender better in the second half and maintained our discipline, which was important.
“And when chances came along we took them.
“It was a memorable occasion and a fitting way for Sam Bennett and Tom Richards to sign off as players. Both have played their last game for us and this will be a great memory of their time with us.”
Brixham dominated most of the first half to lead 20-12 at the break and with more clinical finishing could have been further ahead.
Simonetti and Jamie Hext both scored run-in tries near the posts that Mitch Pinkus converted. Pinkus also slotted two penalties.
Joe Daley and Tom Richards were Services try scorers. Richard Goldsby-West added one conversion.
The second half opened with a brace of yellow cards for Brixham as Simonetti the Hext trooped off to the sin-bin.
Services cut the leeway with a Dylan Daley try then took a 22-20 lead when Matt Richards slid over in the corner.
Simonetti went off permanently for a high tackle after 65 minutes and Down kicked the penalty for a five-point Services lead.
Brixham levelled with five minutes to go when Jordan Green scampered over in the corner on the end of a chip kick. Pinkus converted for a two-point Brixham lead.
In a grandstand finish to the match Down prodded Services a point ahead with a kick from the tee and Busfield settled it when he was driven over deep into stoppage time.
