Cinderford Match Report

Cinderford 17 Mounts Bay 0

Cinderford player-coach Andy Deacon is expecting this weekend's big county clash with rivals Lydney to be tougher than Saturday's win over league leaders Mounts Bay.The Foresters ended the Cornish side's unbeaten National League Three South record with a 17-0 win at Dockham Road to close within three points at the top of the table.

"Mounts Bay came out very strong for the start of both halves, but in the end our defence won us the game," said Deacon. "We worked on that aspect big time in training and we scored off a couple of turnovers.

"They asked lots of questions of us, but they are not going to get very far if you take their legs and our first-up tackling was excellent.

"We hardly turned over any ball and while they lost their discipline and got frustrated, we kept ours in what was a very physical game.

"We realised their fulcrum is their half-backs, but we took that avenue away from them by dominating at scrum and line-out. We got into them and that is something they probably haven't experienced much, having so lost so few times over the years.

"We have improved in each of our last three games and, in a lot of ways, we have been building up to this performance. If we wanted to be genuine contenders, then we had to beat Mounts Bay, simple as that."

With that test out of the way, Cinderford move on to the next one - Lydney at Regentsholme.

"The four fixtures leading into the New Year were always going to be tough. We've won the first three, but potentially I still think next week's derby game at Lydney could be the hardest." said Deacon.

It was tough to pick fault with any of Cinderford's bravehearts on a seminal afternoon for the Forest club, but Deacon did highlight a few individual performances.

"Henry Trinder (England Under-18s and Gloucester A winger signed last week) was playing his first game and he did really well. He looks like being an important signing," added Deacon.

"I also felt both tactically and physically, Mark Cornwell was superb in the line-outs, while Dewi Scourfield put in crucial tackles.

"But then again, that is no different to any other week. I would say he and Toby Wilson are the most consistent performers in the squad."