NORTH DEVON RAIDERS 20, EAST DEVON EAGLES 48
Sunday June 6th at Pottington Road, Barnstaple

Despite a promising opening ten minutes, which saw them score two tries, the North Devon Raiders eventually succumbed to the current holders in Sunday's South west Rugby League Challenge Cup tie at Pottington Road.

Boasting a full strentgth twenty man squad for the first time, the Raiders opened strongly, grabbing the lion's share of possession and piggy backed by two successive penalties, stand off Tom Pearce fed Nico Casanova to cross the try line out wide followed shortly by a Will Topps touchdown following an eighty metre break by debutant Sam Wallacott, the conversion by Pearce giving the hosts a 10-0 lead in even time.

However, the Eagles were next on the scoreboard with two tries of their own following penalties for indiscretions by the Raiders, Graham Price crashing over from a tap penalty before Paul Morgan broke through some paper thin defence to give Brad Perkins and easy conversion to level the scores at 10 all at quarter time.

Eagles scored their third try, again after a stoppage in play, when Dan Cuthbertson powered over but there were near misses for both sides, Ben Parry's break through the Eagles line being thwarted by a loose forward pass just short of the goal line.

The visitors extended their lead just before the half time break, Paul Morgan crossing next to the corner post to leave Perkins with a difficult kick into a stong breeze which was successful to give a 20-10 scoreline at the interval.

Raiders again came close just after the restart, Winston James' being denied by referee Ian Allison for a double movement on 44 minutes before Sean Lovett breached the home side's right side defence to give Perkins another difficult attempt at goal which he duly slotted over.

Perkins was the try scorer five minutes later, finishing another left to right passing move to score out wide and stretch the East Devon lead to twenty points.

Hopes of a home side revival were raised when first Ben Parry, from a planned move twenty metres out, and then Dom Heap racing thirty metres from a scrum win closed the deficit to just ten points with fifteen minutes left.

That was where the revival ended though, with the visitors running in three converted tries in the last ten minutes, first from Darren Bowden followed by a brace from Mark Wathes, which blew the scoreline out to 48-20 leaving the Raiders bottom of the South Western League table and the Eagles facing an away trip to either the Devon Sharks or Exeter Centurions in the July 3rd semi final.  

RAIDERS; Toby Williamson, Nico Casanova, Steve Mallen, Winston James, Jose Casanova, Tom Pearce, Ben MacDonald, Dom Heap, Josh Ovey, Craig Woodhouse, Matt Wallin, Dan Fewings, Sam Wollacott, Will Topps, Sam Flatley, Nielson Webber, Ross Goodwin, Dan Hoyle, Ben Parry, Sean Phillips
Tries: Nico Casanova, Topps, Parry, Heap
Goals: Pearce 2

EAGLES: Paul Morgan, Nathan Budd, Brad Perkins, Doug Wright, Richard King, Sean Lovett, Mark Wathes, Paul Flower, Richard Guy, Darren Bowden, Ollie Turton, Martin Westaway, Tony Emmins, Andy Lendon, Dan Cuthbertson, Graham Price, Matthew Hannah,James Holman, Nick Smith
Tries: Wathes 2, Morgan 2, Cuthbertson, Lovett, Perkins, Bowden, Price
Goals: Perkins 6

Half Time: 10-20
Referee: Ian Allison