Honiton maintained their unbeaten start to the league season with a stuttering 34-3 win at home to Veor, which keeps the Lacemen top of the Cornwall and Devon league, writes Nick Guilbert.

With the penalty count lower than last week, Honiton proved to be good in parts but wasteful and inconsistent in others. They were drawn into an arm wrestle with large forwards at times, and the set piece was not as solid as in previous games.

Playing up the slope in the first period the Lacemen started brightly and used their greater agility around the park to good effect. This forced the Cornish into conceding a penalty in their own half. The home side kicked to the corner and decent line out ball off the top provided Channing with a run to the gain line. He carried to contact and offloaded to Huggett on the burst. The second row man collected and dotted down under the posts unopposed for his provider to convert. Honiton were in the acedancy and following a kicking exchange Chester gathered and drew the first man before feeding Huskins who in turn found Guilbert. Guilbert with Dobson outside him grubbered from his own half. With no opposition covering the foot race was on. Dobson won by some distance as the ball rolled into the scoring zone for a simple try.

The Lacemen soon found themselves in the top left hand corner again with a lineout. The ball moved to the middle of the field and was recycled back to the left. Hannay was the reciepient, and he carried to the gain line, when some might argue he should have passed. Fortunately for Honiton the tackling was beyond weak and the rummaged his way through to score.

Honiton were 17-0 up in as many minutes, but poor ball retention and basic errors meant they failed to score again before the break.

In the second period Honiton turned up the heat following sustained pressure in clubhouse corner they won a scrummage. A decent hit allowed Channing to test his opposite man, and he clambered his way over to score fifteen yards right of the posts.

Not long afterwards, Honiton again found themselves in ‘the red zone’. With the ball moving to the left Barratt shrugged off his opposite man and step two others to cross for a converted score.

Veor came back at the Lacemen and poor discipline allowed the away side to add three points. Honiton switched back on and with Cave kicking well from hand they found themselves in clubhouse corner again. A good attacking platform provided substitute Lane with a chance five yards out. He confidently barged over from close range to complete the days scoring.

All in all, it was a job done but nothing more. Honiton face Crediton next week, in Crediton, in what will be a much sterner test.