Honiton duly won their home meeting with basemen side Tamar Saracens 59-0, writes Jerry Rice.

What a difference a week makes! Seven days before the game had been hit with torrential rain that left the bal as slippery as a bar of soap – forward seven days to wall-to-wall sunshine sunglasses and shorts as the order of the day!

Honiton received the kick-off punt and, playing up the slope, quickly got into their stride. There were just five minutes on the clock when Kyle Blackmore opened the scoring with an unconverted try out wide.

Honiton were then hampered with a early injury as Jake Smith left the field with a knee injury despite the upset it was really all Honiton at this stage and with the scrum being rock solid, the set piece situation was to be fair, really a demolished job every time the ball was put in.

Honiton, in their eagerness to score did make mistakes and instead of being patient with build-ups, they were often guilty of trying to pull off passes that weren’t on and they were often frustrated by turnovers which were their own mistakes.

The game was held up for a while as the match referee recovered from being bundled over in a maul before the second score arrived after 20 minutes when a five-yard scrum was driven over the line and number eight Josh Rice scored the try.

Blackmore bagged a second, getting on the end of a sweeping passing move. It was Ben Kidson who scored the all-important fourth try to earn the Lacemen the coveted bonus point and half-time arrived with the home side 24-0 to the good.

After the break the Lacemen used the Allhallows slope to their benefit. Five minutes into the half Blackmore completed his hat-trick and the trusty boot of Ollie Cave saw to the extras.

The Plymouth side showed real spirit in putting together some nice passages of play before Honiton produced the try of the game.

The ball was worked up-field with some neat passing before influential prop Will Goulden cantered in from 25 metres.

With six tries in the bag the floodgates opened! Jonny House crossed the whitewash before Cave jinked his way to the line and, in the closing moments, Kidson scored his second, and, with Cave slotting a seventh successful conversion the rout was completed.

The final score was a 59-0 nine try white wash for the Lacemen and if honest it was expected, but there was the concern before the game that they would not hold the nerve.

Once again this result lifts them out of the relegation zone with just the one game to play which is after the Easter break and with just one point needed to secure their league status when Tavistock provide the Allhallows opposition on April 22 – it will not be a game for the faint hearted!

Tavvy will no doubt not be so obliging when handed the ball back! Build-ups must be patient and Honiton will have to be more clinical in their execution of their phase play.

Now to a rallying call to all the Honiton faithful! Please make a note in your diaries for Saturday, April 22. It will not be one for those of you with a nervous disposition and afterwards, their will be either tears of joy or a mass drowning of sorrows. Why not come down and watch the drama unfold.