EXETER CHIEFS 44, SEDGLEY PARK 23: Up against second-placed Exeter, intent on exorcising the memory of the previous weekend's humiliating 68-15 defeat away to leaders Bristol Shoguns, the Tigers were never going to have an easy time.

Therefore, to emerge from the County Ground with their reputation enhanced, despite suffering defeat, was a commendable feat.

With such a big pack it was no surprise the Chiefs began to exert forward pressure from the outset.

However, it was Park who were first to put points on the board when, following a breakout, Blair Feeney's trusty boot popped over a fifth-minute, 35-metre penalty.

But after 10 minutes the Tigers' defence eventually wilted; Chiefs' prop George Davis spun off a driving maul to drop over the line for an unconverted try.

Sedgley slowly began to find their feet, helped by Feeney's touch kicks, and from one of them they were presented with a lineout 15 metres from the Chiefs' line.

The ball was won and driven forward by Fourie and Lund before being spun through the three-quarters.

Winger Ian Voortman joined the line at pace and at a scything angle to cut through the Exeter cover and go over in the corner for the Tigers' first try. Feeney was off-target with the conversion attempt but Park led 8-5.

However, Exeter hit back four minutes later when Alistair Murdoch went over in the corner to make it 10-8 to the hosts.

At the other end Sedgley skipper Jimmy Ponton then charged down a clearance kick a metre from the Chiefs' line and dropped on the ball as it rebounded off him over the line for a real opportunist try. With Feeney kicking the conversion Sedgley found themselves leading 10-15.

With referee Martin Fox beginning to penalise Park more and more Exeter took advantage and from one of the penalties their forwards drove for the line before feeding Murdoch and he crashed over again. Staniforth converted and the Chiefs were back in front, 17-15.

From a lineout following another penalty the Chiefs fired the ball out to winger Ed Lewsey, brother of England winger Josh, and he broke through Richard Welding's tackle to go over in the corner to make it 22-15 at the turnaround.

They began the second half as they had finished the first.

From a lineout 20 metres from their own line the ball was whisked along the backs with scrum-half Hayd Thomas looping around to pop back back up and burst through Sedgley's sliding defence to go in for a try under the posts that Staniforth improved to make it 29-15.

On 52 minutes Feeney kicked another penalty, but then Staniforth slotted one over to extend Exeter's lead to 32-18.

On 70 minutes it looked as though the Tigers' luck had finally changed when Jon Feeley intercepted a pass in midfield and raced for the line, only for Mr Fox to pull him back, claiming the Sedgley backline had strayed offside, a decision that baffled everyone.

Awarded yet another penalty Exeter took the scrum option and the big shove drove back the Sedegley pack for flanker Tony Walker to drop on the ball as it crossed the Tigers' line. Staniforth's conversion then stretched the Chiefs' lead to 39-18.

But Sedgley were not done.

The Tigers raced up to pressure the Chiefs' three-quarters following a deep restart kick, and giant lock Erik Lund intercepted a pass 10 metres from the Chiefs' line to crash over for a third Park try. Feeney's conversion missed, as the Tigers were more concerned with getting the game going again, in order to stand any chance of scoring a fourth try for at least a bonus point.

But it wasn't to be and Kingdom rounded off the scoring for the home side in the 84th minute.

SEDGLEY: Welding, Feeley, McGee, Hassan, Voortman, Feeney, McCormack, Du Plessis, Keys, Thomas, Fourie, Lund, Senior, Ponton, Skurr. Replacements: Oxley (for Keys, 63), Collie (for Du Plessis, 73), Lourens (for Thomas, 73), Roberts, Wilkinson (for McCormack, 63), Naylor (for McGee, 63), Holtzhausen (for Senior, 63)

PETER COLLINS