SEDGLEY PARK 25 EXETER CHIEFS 39: SEDGLEY very nearly recorded a surprise victory over Premiership pretenders Exeter, but in the end ran out of steam, despite giving the Devon side an almighty scare.

However, after just 33 seconds, there looked to be anything but an upset on the cards.

Receiving the initial kick-off, Exeter worked the ball out to the left wing at pace.

There Gary Kingdom teased the Sedgley backs before slipping the ball inside to scrum-half Haydyn Thomas, who galloped unopposed towards the posts, with Yapp easily converting.

On eight minutes Sedgley were awarded a penalty 20 metres out from the Chefs' sticks, and Blair Feeney's successful kick got his side off the mark at 3-7.

But the Chiefs extended their lead on 11 minutes when, from a scrum 30 metres out from their own try-line, Ed Lewsey blasted down the left wing before turning the ball inside to fellow winger Kingdom, and he had the speed to beat the Sedgley cover and go over for the Chiefs' second try.

Yapp added the conversion and the Tigers found themselves 14-3 down.

Undeterred they regrouped and within two minutes had claimed their first touch down.

From the restart they stole the ball from the Chiefs and spun it from left to right, where Richard Welding popped up and, using fellow winger John Feeley as a decoy, saw a gap in the Chiefs' defensive cover and skipped through to touchdown and move the score to 10-14.

On 22 minutes, Feeney's penalty kick found touch out on the left hand side, and on the Chiefs' 10 metre line.

The Tigers won the lineout and the ball was swung out to Feeney.

His 'up-and-under' bounced off a Chiefs' player and into the arms of Feeley, who dodged a couple of would-be tackles to charge in unopposed.

Feeney's second successful conversion then gave Sedgley a 17-14 lead, for something of a turnaround.

Three minutes later it got even better.

A scrum followed Exeter's restart kick, which Sedgley won, and the ball found Feeley again, and after dummying two defenders his pace saw him over for a second try, this time in the right-hand corner.

Feeley missed a difficult conversion attempt, but the Tigers nevertheless lead 22-14.

Despite intense pressure the visitors had to make do with a Yapp penalty, which took the score to 22-17.

On the stroke of half-time Welding was felled by a high tackle and Feeney duely obliged with the 30-metre penalty kick to extend Sedgley's lead to 25-17.

But three minutes into time-added-on, Kingdom drove down the left touchline again before kicking over the Sedgley backs, and Chiefs' fullback Graydon Staniforth won the foot race and touched down.

Yapp missed the kick and Sedgley took a slender 25-22 lead into the break - a minor miracle after the start they had had.

Yapp then missed a penalty four minutes after the restart, and shortly afterwards an Exeter try was disallowed for a forward pass.

It was then Feeney's turn to miss with the boot, although it was from just inside his own half.

On 69 minutes the visitors won a scrum on the Sedgley 10 metre line and Thomas superbly bisected the tired Sedgley cover to cut through for his side's fourth try, which Yapp converted to make it 29-22 to the visitors.

Another Yapp penalty made it 25-32, and from looking at an improbable, if deserved win, Sedgley were now hoping to hang on for a keep losing bonus point.

Feeney missed another penalty 45 metres out, and after having a second try disallowed, Exeter finally wrapped up the win and a bonus point when they went over eight minutes into stoppage time.

Richard Baxter got the touch down with Yapp's conversion end the game 25-39 to the Chiefs.

Sedgey were close to a victory totally against the odds; they then looked like at least grabbing a deserved losing point; but they emerged with nothing but their pride in having given one of the title contenders an unexpected fright.

This weekend they face a 10-pointer when they travel to Ireland Avenue to face Nottingham, who were promoted along with Sedgley last season.

The green and whites surprise 20-13 win at championship contenders Birmingham-Solihull moved them above Sedgley in the table.

l SEDGLEY: de Jager, Feeley, Naylor, Voortman, Welding, Feeney, Wilkinson, Du Plessis, Oxley, Thomas, Fourie, Lund, Senior, Ponton, Skurr. Replacements: Keys, Collie (for Du PLessis, 85), Lourens, Hall (for Senior, 80), McCormack (for Wilkinson, 64), Hassan, Bullough.