DESPITE being within striking distance with 14 minutes to go, Redruth failed to gain any league points for the first time this season, writes Ed Bawden.

A disappointing performance saw the Reds well beaten by five tries to one at Shelford.

The hosts were good value for their win in a game where Redruth never got going after conceding a try in the opening minutes.

Redruth had much the better of the scrums and with 14 minutes to go trailed by only eight points and could not take advantage of two yellow cards in the second half for the hosts.

On a cold, dark day Redruth had first use of a strong wind but two mistakes in the opening minute saw Aki Lea suck the defence in to put Marius Andrijauskas over for a try that Will Lawson converted.

Pressure in the scrum forced Shelford to conceded a penalty in front of the posts with Ashley Hosking slotting the kick home to get Redruth on the scoreboard after 12 minutes.

Shelford responded immediately with man-of-the-match Lawson making the running for full-back Tom Lucas to dive over in the right hand corner.

The Reds had plenty of possession, Luke Collins was back in the second in place of the injured Damien Cook and having a decent game.

Hosking judged the wind well to put over a penalty after 22 minutes but the reds went into the half time break trailing 12-6.

Early in the second half, Andrijauskas was yellow carded for some foul play reported to the referee by his assistant Stephen Light.

However, Redruth could not take advantage and Lawson slipped through some high tackles to go over for a try after 54 minutes that he also converted.

Redruth’s forwards were going well and Shelford hooker Daniel Reilly was yellow carded following persistent offences at the scrum after 62 minutes.

Greg Goodfellow spotted three forwards defending on the blind side and ran around all three to go over for Redruth’s try in the left hand corned after 66 minutes.

Peter Joyce and Brett Rule both made their first appearances of the season as replacements in the final quarter but Redruth fell away with prop Grant Anderson charging over for a try which Lawson converted.

In the final play of the game Redruth lost a line out and some weak tackling saw Shelford winger Andrew Scott run strongly for an unconverted try.

REDRUTH: 15 Hosking (Rule, 69), 14 Kessell (Bonds, 50), 13 Webber, 12 Parsons, 11 Bowden, 10 McAtee, 9 Goodfellow; 1 Phillips, 2 Brown, 3 Williams (Drew, 62), 4 Collins, 5 Bailey, 6 Fuca (c) (Simmons 40, Priddey 70), 7 Priddey (Joyce, 62), 8 Marriott.

TRY: Goodfellow.

PENS: Hosking 2.