Sidmouth Chiefs secured their first win of the season, defeating St Austell 30 to 23 in a thrilling match.

The game showcased a strong and determined defence from the Chiefs, particularly during the 13 minutes of extra time, which was primarily played in their half.

The team also saw significant improvement in their lineout success, which had been a weakness in previous matches.

Sidmouth got off to an impressive start, scoring 15 points within the first 15 minutes.

Sam Heathcote opened the scoring after five minutes with a try in the right corner, thanks to good teamwork from both the backs and forwards.

James Docherty successfully converted the try.

Heathcote continued to make an impact, following up his own kick to score a second try, though this one went unconverted.

Docherty added to the score with a penalty kick shortly after.

St Austell responded quickly, scoring after regaining possession from the restart kick.

Their right winger finished off a well-orchestrated move, followed by an individual try from their outside centre, which narrowed the gap to just three points.

Docherty’s penalty kick then took the Chiefs to an 18-12 lead at halftime, but a yellow card for Lewis Hole just before the break meant Sidmouth would start the second half with only 14 players.

Straight from the kick-off, St Austell capitalised on the numerical advantage, scoring a try after a lineout.

The conversion was missed, but the Chiefs only led by one point.

Soon after, Tom Hodge received a yellow card for an early tackle, leaving Sidmouth with 13 players for five minutes.

During this period, St Austell took the lead for the first time with a penalty kick.

Under pressure, the Chiefs held firm defensively before George Locke intercepted a loose pass and sprinted into the 22.

He was stopped just short of the line, but support arrived, allowing Tom Hodge to score under the posts.

St Austell narrowed the gap with another penalty, but Sidmouth responded with a try from Rory O’Brien, following an inside pass from Shaun Malton, which gave them a seven-point lead.

The Chiefs spent the remainder of the match defending their lead until they won a scrum against the head, bringing the game to a close.

Next Saturday, the Chiefs will travel to Royal Wooton Bassett, while the Quins will host Exeter Engineers at Blackmore Field, kicking off at 3pm.