National League Three South West

Ivybridge 46,

Cleve 22

Ivybridge were looking to bounce back from their defeat at the hands of Lydney last week.

Cleve were their opponents on Saturday, who have not fared well on the road this season. Ivybridge ran out to their smallest crowd thus far on a bitterly cold afternoon.

Despite the cold, it didn’t take long for Alex ‘Reggie’ Hall to cross the line for the first score of the day.

Billy Pinkus, normally clinical with the boot, found the blustery conditions difficult, missing the conversion and two further penalty attempts.

Cleve for their part piled the pressure on and after 25 minutes Ivybridge found themselves trailing 5-10.

Ivy rallied and shortly afterwards it was Billy Pinkus who crossed to score and then convert his own try.

Ivy were desperate for more points before the break and Jonny Morgan obliged with a try, having intercepted a Cleve line-out. At half time Ivybridge had a 17-10 lead.

Damian Ackerman secured the try bonus point just after the break by touching down after a line break and Billy Pinkus, now firing with the boot, added the extra two.

Cleve went down to 14 men having had their second row red carded and Ivybridge made the most of this advantage.

Billy Pinkus crossed to score twice more to secure his hat-trick. Cleve, though, continued to push Ivy all the way and clawed back two tries late in the game.

Pinkus converted a penalty late on and in the last minute Nathan Reeves, on for Matt Finn, sprinted in from 10 yards to seal a comfortable win 46-22.

Next week the Ivybridge boys travel to Bristol to take on the formidable Dings Crusaders, who sit one place above them in the league in third.