Withycombe were left to reflect on another frustrating afternoon at Raleigh Park on Saturday, as OPM took the points despite a determined second-half comeback from the hosts.
The visitors made a fast start and crossed the line inside the opening three minutes, before Withy responded well. Two quick penalties put the Withies in a strong attacking position, allowing Bradley Eltham to power over for the first try of the afternoon. OPM added two further scores to extend their lead, but Withy continued to create opportunities, with good work through the phases setting up Liam Daniels to cross under the posts. Harrison Greenslade added the conversion to bring the score to 12–19.
Withy pushed for another score before the break, but OPM extended their advantage with a converted try on 35 minutes while playing against 14 men following Fin Ivory’s yellow card. The sides went in at half-time with the visitors leading 26–12.
The Withies came out with renewed purpose after the restart and began to put OPM under greater pressure. A well-timed break from Morgan West opened up the defence, allowing Fin Ivory to finish the move and mark his third try in as many appearances for the club.
Withy continued to press, and their efforts were rewarded on the hour mark. With the attack building close to the OPM line, Archie Symons emerged from the back of a ruck and powered through to score. Harrison Greenslade added the conversion to bring the score back to 24–26 and set up a tense final quarter.
The hosts continued to look for a way through, spending more time in OPM territory as they searched for the lead. However, they were unable to turn that pressure into another score, and OPM regained their footing before adding two unconverted tries in the closing stages to seal a 36–24 win.
The four-try bonus point was some reward for the Withies’ efforts, particularly the response after half-time, but the search for a first win of the season goes on. There were encouraging spells to build on, though the challenge remains to put those periods together more consistently across the full 80 minutes.
Next weekend, Withy travel to Astley Park to face Brixham II.
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