This was a match which the home side were in danger of letting slip after reaching a healthy 20 – 3 lead early in the second half.
The scoring was opened by the Okes in the third minute however when fly half Carl Poynton calmly converted a penalty on a much improved playing surface following the dry spell.
This was quickly countered with a flowing three quarter movement involving Ali Taylor, coming in off his wing, full back Mark Nichols and finally wing Ben Gamlin for the unconverted try as they sliced open the visitors defence.
More end to end play followed but the Chiefs improved their advantage when a clearance kick was fielded by Robin Trott, playing in the centre for this match, and he combined with Gamlin and Nichols once again with the latter this time deciding to ignore the overlap and go through himself to double the home side’s score.
The lively Gamlin again raided down his wing from which a scrum was awarded and this time the pack took over. From the reset scrum they pushed their opponents off their own ball with number 8 Micky Norman picking up the loose ball and muscling his way over.
A period of pressure from the visitors from the start of the second half was defended well and finally ended with a swift raid by Taylor down the right. From the resulting breakdown Trott received and fenced along the visitor’s defensive line until a gap appeared for flanker Andy Brown to dart through.
Wellington then seemed to go into containment mode and the strategy nearly backfired as the Devon side sensed their opportunity and pushed forward. They reduced the arrears with a try from wing Tom McGaritt who collected the inch perfect cross-field kick in the 18th minute with Poynton converting.
The fly half got his second penalty of the match shortly after and suddenly there was only one score between the sides. Okehampton levelled shortly after as this time their pack drove the Wellington eight backwards with Steve Alford grounding for the try. With Poynton’s steady boot converting a game which looked to have been comfortably sewn up was once again in the balance.
The home side woke up from this shock and put together a swift response and following a series of phases Trott worked his way over the line for them to retake the lead. Sadly the usually most utterly dependable Nichols missed his fifth conversion on a day he will wish to forget leaving a nervy last ten minutes to endure.
Okehampton put all their energy into trying to snatch the match and with Welly Skipper being sin binned it took a mighty effort by the home side to hold them out until the final whistle.