Tribute Devon One

NEW CROSS did their homework on Dartmouth for this game and there was simply nothing the visitors could do.

All that said, if it wasn't for the workers in Dartmouth's team the score would have been a lot worse.

The injury count for Dartmouth hasn't helped this year, with the Riversiders losing eight three-quarter line players through injury, work commitments and holidays.

With a small club like Dartmouth it's crippling, so if any young lads would like to join Dartmouth Rugby Football Club and help stem this severed artery, please come up and train with the lads at Norton playing fields 6.30pm every Thursday.

Dartmouth knew New Cross were out for revenge, with Darts already beating them twice this season – once in the league at home and the other occasion away for the Junior Cup – and this time New Cross were determined right from the kick-off.

It wasn't long before New Cross' tactics worked, as with only nine minutes gone winger Dean Churchfield sprinted past Dartmouth's winger from the halfway line, Ryan Wotton converting. Ten minutes later Wotton was at it again with the first penalty of the game, taking the score to 10-0.

On the half-hour mark, the referee sent John Dingle to the sin bin for collapsing a maul. Three minutes after that New Cross went over again, this time using the left wing.

Four minutes later New Cross went over again; this time, with John Dingle in the bin, New Cross used the scrum to shove their way past Dartmouth with Wotton adding the extras. That's the way it stayed up to half-time, New Cross going in at the break 22-0 up and cruising.

The second half was going to be worse than the first, and it only took New Cross three minutes to punt a penalty against a struggling Dartmouth side.

Ten minutes later Dartmouth gave another penalty away, New Cross' Wotton converting that one as well. Dartmouth tried to rally but it wasn't to be their day.

This time with a full complement of players, the visitors started their own attack but New Cross intercepted the ball on their own 22 and Cross went over for the bonus point score, again converted. Two minutes after that try, skipper Reg Varney was sent to the sin bin for leaving a trailing arm.

With 17 minutes of the second half gone, New Cross were at it again three minutes later, scoring and converting, taking the score to 47-0. New Cross added another try and conversion to take the score on the final whistle to 54-0.

A dejected Dartmouth side are taking on University of Exeter this Saturday with a 1.45pm kick off because of the international, England v Scotland. If ever the lads' need you it's now, so come up and give the boys all the support you can.