A Sam Hocking try deep into stoppage time saved the visitors from another defeat at the hands of league strugglers Mounts Bay. With the Cornish All Blacks leading 14-12 on full time they were penalised for handling in the ruck well within the kicking range of the metronomic boot of Dan Hawkes. As the ball sailed a good two feet left of the posts the touch-judges signalled a goal! Knowing that they dare not then let the ball go out of play Cornish All Blacks kept possession, recycled and recycled as they edged ever closer to the Bay line. Eventually Tom Skelding passed to Sam Hocking who was never going to be stopped from eight metres out. Job done but near heart attacks for the Launceston supporters, writes Tony Randel.This was not a pretty game. It was characterised by sloppy Launceston handling by the backs and massive indiscipline in the first half. They managed to stamp their authority on the game in the second period but Bay, fighting for National Two survival, were never going to do anything but play with great determination and spirit – it so nearly came off. If it had they would have kept alive their slender hope of survival; as it was they appear to be consigned to the lower league next season, barring some miracles.

Cornish All Blacks opened the scoring with a Mal Roberts penalty after only two minutes but it took less than a further two minutes for Dan Hawkes to reply as Cornish All Blacks conceded the first of eight penalties in the first period. Launceston had the first of a number of scoring chances when Tom Skelding made a good break only for Jason Luff, on loan from Exeter for the remainder of the season, to knock-on just short of the line.

On 17/18 minutes Roberts and Hawkes again traded penalties but on the 20th minute mark Bay went ahead with Hawkes' third penalty from 40m. Tom Rawlings had an earlier knock to which he eventually succumbed on the half hour for Glen Remnant to bring a bit more size to the pack who were not having all their own way against a strong Bay except in the line-out where Tom Skelding was magnificent.

When Josh Lord was yellow carded for obstruction, whilst preventing an almost certain try, Hawkes stroked Bay into a 12-6 lead much to the very noisy joy of their partisan spectators.

Although Launceston conceded a further three penalties before the turn round Bay could not capitalise on any of them. Bay had had a stiffish wind behind them in the first half but any ideas the visitors had of using that to their advantage in the second period were dashed by it turning through 180° and dropping!

Cornish All Blacks looked more determined in the second half although Hawkes tried to extend the hosts' lead with a very ambitious drop goal attempt from 40m early on.

Jason Luff made a super jinking run through the centre but was stopped just short of the line. Then a good period of Launceston play saw Ryan Westren work the ball across the field before the pack re-grouped to drive Glen Remnant over. Although Adam Staniforth missed the difficult conversion the Cornish All Blacks were back in touch at 12-11.

They so nearly lost even that when Bay winger Sam Parsons, who had been a thorn in the side of the visitors all day, intercepted a long pass in the Launceston 22 and sped upfield on his own. Although he was eventually brought down by Gary Kingdom's superior speed it was a close run thing.

With ten minutes to go Mal Roberts inexplicable missed a relatively easy penalty. When Adam Staniforth lined up for the next, from 47m, with two minutes to go it looked to be a 'do or die' moment. As it sailed, apparently effortlessly, between the posts the Bay crowd fell silent for the first time amidst the cries of 'Come on you blacks'!

Then the extraordinary events of the last nine minutes! If you could guarantee every game of rugby being as exciting as this one in the last ten minutes surely we would get bigger crowds – or would they all have had heart failure!

Other results in the league went the way expected so there is no real change at the top although the fact that the four teams currently above us all got five points has made the task of gaining promotion even more difficult!

No game next weekend as all our potential opponents are catching-up on other postponed games; but we do wish Josh Lord and Mike Myerscough all good wishes as they pull on the coveted white Jersey for England Counties in Ireland.

Mounts Bay: Josh Matavesi, Richard Bright, Steve Johns, Doug Sanft, Sam Parsons, Dan Hawkes, Greg Goodfellow, Tim Mathias (Adam Flide73), James Salter, Bruce Pow (Paul Andrew 73), Ed King, Brett Stroud, Steve Dyer (adam Flide 13-23, Duke Seymour 67) and Nick Burnett (capt) (Fraser Cliverd 53); rep not used Adrian Bick

Cornish All Blacks: Jon Fabian, Jason Luff, Ryan Westren, Mal Roberts, Gary Kingdom, Adam Staniforth, Lewis Webb (Marc Dibble 59), Jason Bolt, Glenn Cooper, Hamish Mitchell (Keith Brooking 59), Tom Skelding, Mike Myerscough (Bryn Jenkins 73), Josh Lord (capt), Tom Rawlings (Glen Remnant 30) and Sam Hocking; rep not used; Jon Marlin

Scorers; Mounts Bay: pens, Hawkes (5); Cornish All Blacks: tries, Remnant, Hocking; pens, Roberts (2), Staniforth.

Referee: Mr Nick Williams (RFU).