Final Score- 

Ivybridge (10) 18  Tries: Furse, Brown Cons: Brown Penalties: Brown 2 

Matson (14) 24  

Ivybridge’s losing start to the season continued after a battling 24-18 defeat at home to Matson.  

Despite having more of the ball and territory for large parts of the game Ivybridge struggled to convert the chances they were creating. Both penalties and knock-ons scuppered their opportunities and played into Matson’s hands as their dominant defence kept Ivybridge away from their try line.  

Matson won the early kicking battle, with a poor clearance from Ivybridge gathered by a Matson winger who ran through some missed tackles and played in their outside centre who scored the first try of the day.  

After the try, the intensity of the match heated up as the referee handed out three yellow cards to Matson in the space of 10 minutes. Despite holding onto the ball and pinning Matson in their twenty-two for next period of the game, Ivybridge failed to convert, Matson’s defence held firm and forced penalties at the breakdown.  

Matson quickly found themselves in Ivybridge’s twenty-two, and after a moment of individual brilliance from their fly-half, chipping over the defence and regathering to score next to the posts, Matson had their second try of the match. 

Shortly before half-time Ivybridge once again found themselves camped in Matson’s twenty-two. Phase after phase of hard hits from pods of forwards and tough tackling from Matson, Ivy was inside the five-metre line. Sam Brown eventually bundled the ball over line, scoring Ivy’s first try of the game before the clock went red for half time.  

After half-time both teams traded successful penalties, but the rain combined with both teams tiring as the game went on, handling errors crept in and neither team were able to grab hold of the game and put together a run of scores.  

However, in the final five minutes after long periods of Ivybridge pressure Matson once again quickly made their way into Ivybridge territory. Matson’s maul drove to the line and the backs put the game to bed with a wonderful attacking move ending with their inside centre scoring under the posts.  

As the clock went red Ivybridge kept going to the last minute and Brown scored another try with a close-range finish after lots of phases on Matson’s try line.  

At end of an attritional match, Ivy will rue their missed chances. They had more possession and territory throughout the game, but breakdown penalties and handling errors stopped them putting their first win on the board.  

After the match, Vice-Captain Sam Brown said: “It stinks. We put in a good shift. Great crowd again but we what they were going to come with…We’re just finding our feet with a new coach, new leadership so it’s getting there, just tough to take.” 

Brown added that next week away to Okehampton will be a great opportunity to right the wrongs of their opening matches: “Another tough place to go and we know what they’re going to bring so, looking forward to this week and looking forward to bouncing back.”