Plymouth Albion 23 Exeter Chiefs 13

PLYMOUTH Albion became the first team this season to beat league leaders Exeter Chiefs as they claimed a fourth successive Championship victory at Brickfields on Saturday.

Albion entered the clash having lost the previous seven Devon derby matches, yet they were the more dominant team and fully deserved their victory.

Graham Dawe’s side deservedly went in at the interval leading 10-6 thanks to a penalty try and five points from the boot of fly-half Alex Davies.

The hosts, fresh from wins over Bedford, Rotherham and London Welsh, clinched their memorable success in the second period with a superb drive try from Keni Fisilau and eight further points from Davies.

There was a suggestion that the game wouldn’t go ahead after the touchline closest to the main grandstand remained frozen following earlier snowfall.

Exeter expressed it their wish not to play the game, but referee Rowan Kitt and touchjudges Steve Leyshon and Nigel Higginson declared the surface playable and so, much to the Chiefs' displeasure, the clash went ahead.

And in the end heavy rain at the start of the match softened up the pitch.

Albion sprang a selection surprise with Martin Rice, who joined Premiership side London Wasps on loan earlier this month, lining up at prop in place of 20-year-old George Porter, who did not even feature on the bench.

Rice did not play in Wasps’ two European Challenge Cup games against Bayonne, despite being named as a replacement for the second encounter in France on Thursday night, and so took his place in Plymouth’s front-row.

As the game started, rain began to fall, to add to what were already tricky conditions.

Both sides enjoyed an early spell of possession yet it was Albion who made the brighter start, looking to take the game to Exeter.

There was a hold up in play on six minutes when Plymouth flanker Darren Clayton received treatment for what looked like a serious injury to his left leg.

After nearly three minutes of attention, Clayton was stretchered from the field and he was replaced by lock Tyler Hotson with Mike Lewis moving to flanker.

It took Exeter until the 12th minute to mount their first real attack of the game.

They made their way to within five metres of Albion’s try-line, but were then penalised and the hosts were able to clear their lines through fly-half Davies.

Three minutes later, the home side put the Chiefs under real pressure for the first time and they took the lead.

Albion’s pack drove Exeter back towards their own whitewash at a quick pace and after the Chiefs illegally stopped the maul on the line referee Kitt awarded a penalty try to the hosts.

Davies added a simple conversion and Albion led 7-0.

The Chiefs tried to hit back immediately and they made their way into Plymouth’s 22.

Some dogged Albion defence kept them out, but the hosts were penalised for not binding at an earlier scrum.

Exeter fly-half Gareth Steenson kicked the resulting penalty on 19 minutes to narrow the gap to 7-3.

The Chiefs then began to dominate and their cause was helped on 28 minutes when Albion prop Rice was yellow carded after a five-metre scrum went down four times.

The hosts had to sacrifice Lewis in order to allow another prop, Danny Porte, to join the fray.

Porte, aided by his team-mates, did superbly to thwart the initial waves of Chiefs attacks.

However, the visitors did reduce the deficit to just one point, 7-6, on 36 minutes when Sione Tu’ipuluto was penalised for offside and Steenson made no mistake with the resulting penalty.

Rice and Lewis came back on in the last minute of normal time with the hosts still one point to the good.

Seconds later, Albion lost another player, Tu’ipuluto, to injury.

The Tongan appeared to be struggling with an injury to his left shoulder, so Matt Hopper came on to replace him.

But the home side ended the half on a positive note when they were awarded a penalty in the sixth minute of added-on time after Exeter were penalised for pulling down the maul.

Davies sent the resulting penalty through the centre of the posts to give the hosts a 10-6 half-time lead.

The second half was less than a minute old when Albion had an opportunity to stretch their lead.

Exeter centre Matt Cornwell was penalised for not rolling away, yet Davies’ kick from just inside the Chiefs’ half dropped short of the posts.

Both sides then exchanged a flurry of kicks as they looked to stamp some early authority on the second period.

From one, Davies was taken out in midfield on 47 minutes, and Albion were presented with another chance to extend their advantage.

Mark Lee took up the challenge from a metre inside Exeter’s half, but although his kick had the distance, it sailed wide left of the posts.

Plymouth continued, however, to look the more threatening and it was a case of third time lucky on 52 minutes when they were awarded another penalty.

Exeter prop Chris Budgen was penalised for not rolling away and Davies sent the resulting 30-metre penalty through the centre of the posts to give his side a 13-6 lead.

Four minutes later, it was the visitors’ turn to be reduced to 14 men when lock Chris Bentley was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul.

To rub salt into Exeter’s wounds, Davies kicked the penalty to put Plymouth 16-6 in front and leave them in a strong position.

If Albion’s position was strong at this point, it became commanding on 62 minutes when they scored a superb drive try.

The Plymouth pack steamrollered their way over the try-line with centre Keni Fisilau the man who touched the ball down.

Davies then produced a fine kick to send his conversion attempt through the posts to hand Albion a 23-6 lead.

Exeter needed a quick response and they got one on 70 minutes when winger Mark Foster crossed the whitewash despite some dogged defence from the home side.

Steenson produced a superb kick to add the conversion and despite trailing 23-13, the visitors were now back in the game.

Exeter looked to build on their score and reduce the gap further, yet Albion were determined to not only stop them, but try and extend their 10-point lead.

The closing minutes saw both sides enjoy plenty of ball, with the visitors becoming increasingly anxious as they looked to protect their undefeated record.

The visitors tried all they could to try and find a way back into the contest, but they could not find a way past Albion’s resolute defence and it was the hosts who deservedly claimed their fourth successive league win.

Albion: Mark Lee (Gary Kingdom 80+4), Ben Mercer, Keni Fisilau, Sione Tu’ipuluto (Matt Hopper 40+1), Liam Gibson, Alex Davies, Ruairi Cushion (Kieran Hallett 80), Martin Rice, James Owen, Ryan Hopkins (Danny Porte 75), Mike Lewis (Danny Porte 28-40), Tom Skelding, Wayne Sprangle, Darren Clayton (Tyler Hotson 9), Kyle Marriott (capt, James Waterhouse 65). Rep (not used): Graham Dawe.

Exeter: Emyr Lewis, Paul McKenzie (Nic Sestaret 49), Phil Dollman, Matt Cornwell, Mark Foster, Gareth Steenson, Clive Stuart-Smith (Haydn Thomas 54), Brett Sturgess, Simon Alcott (Neil Clark 7), Chris Budgen (Hoani Tui 64), Chris Bentley (David Gannon 67), Tom Hayes (capt), Tom Johnson (Chad Slade 59), James Scaysbrook, Richie Baxter. Rep (not used): Danny Gray.

Scorers: Albion: Tries: Penalty Try, Fisilau. Cons: Davies (2). Pens: Davies (3).

Exeter: Try: Foster. Con: Steenson. Pens: Steenson (2).

Cards: Albion: Yellow: Rice (28). Exeter: Yellow: Bentley (56).

Referee: Rowan Kitt (RFU).

Attendance: 4,430.

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