Spasmodic Stroud still in contention (From Stroud News and Journal)

Spasmodic Stroud still in contention

Stroud 25, Torquay 13 STROUD extended their improved run of results on Saturday by completing a double over Torquay at Fromehall Park to boost their efforts to climb back into the South West Two West promotion race.

But their performance in a drab encounter, continually dislocated by referee Nigel Stephenson's whistle, could really only be described as spasmodic and they will have to become more consistent if they are to harbour realistic hopes of a return to South West One.

Stroud were never in danger of defeat, scoring four excellent tries to one belated touchdown by a Torquay outfit who displayed plenty of raw commitment, but produced precious little penetrative flair.

Defensively they were impressive and organised, but apart from that aspect and the tries, they seemed to lack the urgency and discipline that could and should have extended the winning margin to considerably wider proportions.

A fifth-minute hamstring injury to centre and goal-kicker, Andy Westley, did nothing to help Stroud's overall productivity, but that could hardly be used as a valid excuse, especially as they captured the lead within seconds of Westley being replaced by Andy Cambridge.

Torquay, under pressure in their 22, had an attempted clearance kick charged down by home centre Mike Thornley and he ran through to touch down unchallenged, Stroud skipper and scrum-half John Farr adding the conversion to give his side an ideal start.

That should have given Stroud the ideal platform for a convincing win over a side they had already beaten comfortably away from home.

But instead, after Torquay fly-half Richard Wood had reduced the arrears with a tenth-minute penalty for offside, they allowed themselves to be side-tracked by some fractious forward exchanges, which produced a string of penalties, mostly in Torquay's favour, and their positive ambitions were smothered in the process.

The 14th minute sin-binning of prop Rob Bashford for illegal use of the boot, his second yellow card in successive weeks, was indicative of the general malaise in a pack which had already established control in the loose exchanges, but still Stroud continued to provoke the referee's displeasure and it cost them dearly in terms of establishing supremacy.

Farr, by some way the outstanding back on view, was at the hub of most of Stroud's creative efforts and after he had kicked a simple penalty to increase the lead to 10-3 the home side enjoyed their best spell of the game either side of the interval.

With 28 minutes gone Stroud scored perhaps the best try of the game when Rob Davey's lineout take allowed them to stretch the ball wide to the left where full-back Adrian Hand made ground before being halted.

Hand recycled the ball and with the Torquay defence stretched to the limit, fly-half Steve Thompson swept clear to send right wing Brian Pearse on a 30-metre sprint to the line, Farr miscuing his conversion attempt wide.

Wood hit the post with a penalty attempt as Torquay briefly retaliated, but Stroud were soon back on the attack, Farr launching a couple of positive moves that promised further scores before he produced a clever piece of skill to set up the third try just before the interval.

Never one to ignore the chance to keep play flowing, Farr took one of many tapped penalties some 40 metres out on the left and this time, with Torquay expecting a running move, he suddenly chipped towards the corner and would have followed up to score himself had left wing Stuart Locke not beaten him to the simple touchdown.

Farr again failed to land a difficult conversion to leave Stroud 20-3 in front at the interval and when they secured their fourth try four minutes into the second half, it seemed they might yet launch a scoring spree.

With Torquay down to 14 men by the yellow carding of No 8 Andy Knight, Farr again took a quick tapped penalty and Thompson's long pass was hit on the burst by Hand who brushed aside the Taunton cover to make the line wide out after a fine 30-metre run.

Thornley's well-struck conversion attempt fell short, but leading 25-3 with 35 minutes left it seemed that Stroud would now step up a gear and put the visitors to the sword.

Unfortunately that scenario never materialised. Instead Stroud appeared content that the game was won and any further exertion would only be superfluous, which merely encouraged Torquay to step up their own efforts.

In a dull, disjointed last half-hour, Wood reduced the deficit with his second penalty after Cambridge had been sin-binned. And then as the game dwindled into injury time Torquay finally managed to pierce Stroud's defence when replacement Chris Roberts forced his way over after a concerted attack on the left.

Wood added the conversion but it was too late to affect the result, Stroud emerging clear, if unimpressive winners.

Two points were all that counted, but with Clifton due at Fromehall Park for a Gloucestershire Roadchef County Cup quarter-final clash next weekend, Stroud will need more urgency and consistency all-round if they are to progress in that direction, let alone harbour hopes of elevation in league status.

Stroud: Hand, Locke, Westley (5, Cambridge), Thornley, Pearse, Thompson, Farr (capt), R Bashford, Wakefield, Jarrett (69, Smith), Davey, J Bashford, Cale (50, Allen), Tarplee, Shipton. Torquay: McClellan, White, Tisdale (56, Quinn), Naud, Bettersworth, Wood, Metherington, Webber (68, Roberts), Swanaepole, McCarthy, Churchwood, Carpenter, Oliver, Prince, Knight. Referee: Nigel Stephenson (Glos society).