CINDERFORD produced an impressive away performance to defeat Taunton Titans 28-20 on Saturday, combining clinical finishing with determined defence to secure a valuable National League Two West victory.

Andrew Smyth scored twice for the Foresters, while captain Tyler Jerrum and Callum McCabe also crossed as the visitors claimed four tries against tough opposition.

Joe Winfield opened the scoring with a ninth-minute penalty, but Taunton fly-half Tom Putt replied from the tee after 20 minutes to level matters.

Cinderford regained the lead three minutes later when Jerrum went over for the opening try, making it 8-3.

The hosts responded quickly, with full-back Freddy Elliott crossing and Putt converting to put Taunton 10-8 ahead.

However, the visitors finished the first half strongly, scoring twice in six minutes to seize control of the contest.

Smyth restored Cinderford's advantage in the 31st minute before McCabe added another try in the 37th, establishing an 18-10 interval lead.

Taunton made an encouraging start to the second half, reducing the deficit through another Putt penalty.

Winfield answered with a penalty of his own in the 48th minute, restoring Cinderford's eight-point advantage.

Seven minutes later, Smyth crossed for his second try of the afternoon and Winfield added the conversion to stretch the lead to 28-13.

The hosts refused to concede defeat and Putt scored a try on the hour before converting his own effort, leaving Taunton just eight points behind.

That set up a tense final 20 minutes, with Cinderford needing to protect their advantage against opponents determined to complete a comeback.

The Foresters stood firm, however, keeping the hosts scoreless for the remainder of the contest to secure an important victory on the road.

Reflecting on the performance, Clive Stuart-Smith praised the determination of his players and their ability to make limited attacking opportunities count.

He said: "What an incredible squad effort to beat Taunton at their home ground.

"They are a very well coached side and we knew we had to deliver an 80 minute performance, full of intensity and accuracy to have a chance at winning."

Stuart-Smith was particularly pleased with the defensive effort, which he regarded as the team's strongest of the campaign.

He added: "It was our best defensive outing of the season, with some stand-out individual performances.

"We were clinical in attack, even though we had limited chances."

The result provides encouragement for Cinderford as they look to build consistency and climb the National League Two West standings.

Their ability to withstand Taunton's second-half pressure proved particularly important after the hosts narrowed the gap with 20 minutes remaining.

Attention now turns to another demanding encounter against Redruth, with Stuart-Smith keen for his side to improve further.

He said: "We will need to be more ruthless with the ball in hand and deliver on our set piece objectives."

Cinderford will hope to carry their confidence and defensive discipline into that fixture as they seek another positive result.

The performance also underlined the importance of maintaining concentration throughout the contest, particularly against determined opponents.