BOTH sides’ first league campaign ended on Sunday with ever-improving St Austell taking the spoils at Tregorrick Park.

There have certainly been some low points for the St Austell side, but after beating second-placed Kingsbridge the week before, the Valkyries took to the pitch with a positive mindset, and a determination to overturn a near 40-point defeat to Saltash earlier this season.

But this was to be a very different type of match to what they were used to.

It was a match of attrition, it was like boxers slugging it out in the ring, with neither giving ground. But whatever Saltash threw at the Cornish side, for the most part the Saints held firm.

The Valkyries forwards won the first scrum against the head, and they remained dominant in the scrums throughout the match. Their line-outs were superbly executed and they also won a couple of Saltash’s throw-ins. The forwards made some strong carries, with Maddy Connop repeatedly driving Saltash back, in both attack and defence. She led by example, just as a captain should do.

The Valkyries backs showed great handling skills, fluency and pace, which was ably demonstrated by Bridget Vian and Charlie Sturdy in the first half. It also has to be said that the backs met every Saltash attack with solid, fearless tackling, from nine to 15.

The first half effectively saw both teams cancel each other out. Both teams showed positivity in attack but they were all too often met with some hard hits in defence.

The Valkyries came close to making the first score, but Kristin ‘Billy’ Davey was held up on the try line. And it was Saltash who broke the deadlock to take a five-point lead into the half time break.

The second half saw an uplift in work rate from the Valkyries, which was astonishing after the physicality of the first half. But nevertheless, they put Saltash under a huge amount of pressure, which would ultimately be the turning point in the match.

From another solid scrum, the ball was delivered to fly-half Anneka Cragg, whose organisational play and ball distribution had been exemplary all game, started a move which saw quick hands through centres Billy Davey and Wenna Parsons to Kiah Redgewell whose pace on the wing was too much for the Saltash defence as she strode away to make it 5-5.

Just a couple of minutes later, Davey made a blistering break through the Saltash back line. She was tackled, but had quick support play from Parsons and scrum-half Dingle, whose quick pass to Cragg ended with the fly-half releasing Redgewell to run down the right wing and around the Saltash defence before touching down beneath the posts for the second try. Claire Buckley made the conversion for 12-5.

About 10 minutes from time, Saltash made a determined push into the Valkyries half, and despite some strong try line defence, the visitors got the ball down for their second try, but they were unable to make the conversion.

With not long left and just one score in it, it could have been a nervy time for the Valkyries and the 100-plus strong crowd.

However, the Valkyries returned to the Saltash half and made a concerted effort to get another score and keep the pressure on. Whilst another score didn't come, there was an air of confidence that they would close out the match which they did.

ST AUSTELL VALKYRIES: Chloe Samways; Bridget Vian, Wenna Parsons, Billy Davey, Kiah Redgewell; Anneka Cragg, Summer Dingle; Kacey Rowe, Kylie Fouracresm, Lauren Hitchens; Bryony Tucker, Kyra Perry; Jade Still, Maddy Connop, Claire Buckley. Replacements: Terri Kendall, Steph Trudgian, Charlie Sturdy, Diana Shpytko, AJ Holsey, Sophia Bishop.

Valkyries’ player-of-the-match: Anneka Cragg; Forward – Maddy Connop; Back – Billy Davey.