Report by the Southwest's premier rugby correspondent Conrad Sutcliffe

Torquay Ath 15 Clevedon 5

Torquay Athletic sit proudly at the top of the South West Two table after this curious win over Clevedon on a sun-soaked Recreation Ground.The curious bit was why Torquay didn't win by a few more as even the most one-eyed Clevedon supporter would have to admit the Tics were all over them for long spells.

Clevedon attacks were few and far between - their try came after 80 seconds and they didn't threaten again until well after half time - but Torquay conjured up a hat-full of ways not to score themselves.

Dropping the ball was the favourite, followed by wayward passing and that old perennial - taking the wrong option.

Torquay coach Drew Powell will no doubt want to see the finishing a little more clinical in the derby clash at Newton Abbot this Saturday - the game has been brought forward to a 1.30pm kick-off to avoid clashing with England's Rugby World Cup match with Samoa on TV - but will have been happy enough that the Tics were in the right positions to get it wrong!

Clevedon caught Torquay napping with the first real action of the game when left-wing Nick Redropp ran up the touchline virtually un challenged to score in the corner.

Matt Jackson could have trimmed the deficit with a penalty on 11 minutes, but didn't, and from then on it was all Torquay up to half time.

Torquay drew level on 20 minutes when they got the drive going from a line out and No.8 Jon Arnold flopped down over the line for the try.

Jackson's conversion missed, as did a 28th minute penalty, and another chance went begging when wing Matt Allanson was almost through before being halted.

Two minutes into stoppage time Torquay went from ruck to ruck in the Clevedon half before scrum-half Scott Rylance burst through the middle to score from a couple of yards out.

Jackson slotted over the conversion, but was less successful with a penalty right on the half-time whistle.

Jackson popped over a penalty 12 minutes into the second half - Clevedon had a prop in the sin-bin at the time - which concluded the scoring for the afternoon, although not the near misses.

Centre Ollie Pitts had an eventful second half as he went close twice and spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin for an ill-advised sortie into a maul. That sort of thing should really be left to the experts in the pack.

Andy Knight, who had a great game around the park, was halted by a high tackle in the Clevedon 22 that might have warranted more than the penalty award - Jackson missed it - given the proximity to the try line.

Cruelly, Arnold was feet away from a second try as the Tics drove for the line when referee Paddy Dommett had to halt play to deal with a punch up going on 20 yards behind him.

It was that sort of day for the Tics, one which coach Powell put down to early season rustiness and the fact that Clevedon could play a bit.

"Passes go behind players or hit the floor this time of the season so I am not that worried," said Powell.

"Maybe we should have scored a few more points, but Clevedon were quite resilient and a lot fitter than most of the sides we came up against last season. When others would have blown up, they were still going."