National 2S
Taunton Titans 59, Worthing Raiders 19

AFTER two successive losses and their last two home games ending in defeat, the Titans got back to winning ways in emphatic style, scoring nine tries.

Worthing Raiders started the brightest, scoring in the corner after five minutes through winger Coxon-Smith.

The Titans then managed to get some ball in the Raiders’ half and strung 20-odd phases together but were turned over at the crucial time.

Yet from the resulting lineout in the Worthing 22, the Titans went wide for birthday boy Aron Struminski to dive over.

With the game tied, both teams looked to make the breakthrough and it was the Titans who scored next when number 8 Sam Prior intercepted on the halfway line and showed his deceptive speed to go in under the posts.

Full-back Gary Kingdom converted and then added the extras to a Dan Frost try three minutes later.

The Titans have been in situations like this before and let it slip, but this time they extended their lead as scored first with a try for Tom Rhodes who hit a great short line to score.

With the Raiders on the ropes, the Titans struck again three minutes later through winger Richard Bright, with Kingdom converting both to give the Titans a 33-5 lead.

Worthing were next to score, with Coxon-Smith getting his second and full-back Mathew Mclean adding the extras.

With injuries taking their toll on the visitors, the Titans started to add to their score – Struminski ran in his second and Lewis Pratten scored on his home debut, showing his pace by rounding the defence.

Worthing kept attacking and were rewarded with a third try through Mclean, who converted his own score, and, with 15 minutes to go, they looked to push on to claim a bonus point.

Instead, though, the Titans added two further converted tries, with Pratten getting his second and Struminski running in from deep to claim a special birthday hat-trick.

Star man – Aron Struminski.
Referee: Philip Davies
Attendance: 425

Taunton Titans; Kingdom, Bright (Pratten 55), Mason (Capt), Fraser (Bright 74), Struminski, Webb, Massy-Birch, Rhodes (Claydon 67), Gatford (Spurdle 48), Caulfield, Lonsdale, Lugg, Persey, Frost (Harbison 55), Prior (Oliphant-Thompson 48).