CINDERFORD returned to winning ways in National League 2 West after surviving a late Exeter University fightback to secure a 40-32 victory at Bell Sports and Rugby Park.

The Forest side scored six tries and built a commanding 20-point advantage during the second half, but were forced to defend their lead as the visitors rallied with two late scores. The result provided an encouraging response to the previous weekend's defeat at Barnstaple, although head coach Clive Stuart-Smith admitted there were lessons to take from another high-scoring encounter.

Exeter made the stronger start when hooker Henry Boggs crossed for the opening try and Ollie Chandler-Sullivan converted. Cinderford answered through Brendan Llewelyn, with Joe Winfield adding the extras, before the students regained control.

Rory Humphries went over for Exeter's second try, again converted by Chandler-Sullivan, whose subsequent penalty opened up a 17-7 lead after 18 minutes. The hosts needed a response and found one through scrum-half Josh Horrobin, who crossed before Winfield converted to reduce the deficit to three points.

Another Chandler-Sullivan penalty restored Exeter's six-point cushion, but Cinderford produced their most productive spell approaching half-time. Halen King touched down for the home side's third try before Llewelyn struck again, completing his double. Winfield converted both scores as Cinderford turned a six-point deficit into a 28-20 interval lead.

The momentum continued after the restart, with Mattie Cotton adding a fifth try before Jake Polledri crossed for the sixth. Winfield converted Polledri's effort, giving the Forest side a seemingly comfortable 40-20 advantage after 58 minutes.

However, Exeter refused to let the game drift away. Billy Benson and Alec Bagwell crossed as the visitors exploited gaps in the home defence, with Chandler-Sullivan adding one conversion. The two scores reduced the difference to eight points and ensured Cinderford could not afford another mistake during the closing stages.

Exeter collected a try bonus point for their efforts, but Cinderford held firm to secure the victory and take five league points of their own from an entertaining afternoon. The bonus-point success also marked another productive outing for a Cinderford attack that has regularly found the try line during the opening weeks of the campaign.

Stuart-Smith praised the variety of his side's attacking play while expressing frustration that Exeter had been allowed back into contention. Llewelyn's two finishes and Winfield's work from the tee had proved crucial in building a lead that survived the students' late surge.

“Areas of our game were brilliant,” he said, adding that it was pleasing to see Cinderford attack with such endeavour and score in a variety of ways.

“We did take a step forward from last week, understanding that we were facing a very different style of opposition.

“As a group, we are frustrated that we allowed Exeter back into the game, gifting them an opportunity to win in the last five minutes.”

The coach said the performance demonstrated the importance of maintaining concentration and making the most of scoring opportunities against every opponent.

Cinderford will now have a break from league action before travelling to Taunton on October 31, with their attacking confidence boosted but defensive consistency and lineout execution remaining areas for improvement.

For Stuart-Smith and his players, the challenge will be turning the promising passages of rugby shown against Exeter into a sustained performance across the full 80 minutes.