Redruth have a bit of a reputation for not travelling well—not surprisingly given the distances they have to travel even in National League Two (South) so on Saturday it was hoped Combe might get something out of their visit.
It was evident from early on that Redruth had come with a job to do and were not to be distracted, showing commendable patience along with a quiet ruthlessness that paid huge dividends as the game progressed.
Rugby's reputation to thrill and entertain would not last long if many games were as dour as this one.
The first chance fell to Combe with a penalty but it stuck an upright and was scrambled clear and in no time Redruth had a similar chance that they took and seven minutes later were quite happy to add to it with another, from the appropriately named Aaron Penberthy.
Into the second quarter and Combe conceded the softest of tries when centre Tom Cooper went between the posts, from some distance, through a gaping hole at the heart of Combe's defence.
With the Penberthy conversion Redruth had a 13—nil lead seemingly from nowhere. Nearly twenty minutes elapsed with both sides seemingly lacking a cutting edge and not really threatening, but Penberthy put Redruth into a 16—nil lead at the interval with his third penalty with the last kick of the half.
Combe started the second half a bit brighter and quickly had points on the board when winger Bradley Keyton went over but the conversion had barely been pulled wide and Redruth were crossing the line at the opposite end with their winger Tom Notman. That conversion also went wide.
So in a very short space of time Combe hopes and joy somersaulted—first with perhaps they could get back into this and then—well that was a short lived hope!
Twenty minutes elapsed with neither side looking like they where going to add to their scores. Redruth were very much in control particularly the forwards who were dominating in the set pieces.
Then a ball kicked out of defence fell into the arms of Combe's full-back Chris O'Neill. Cutting inside initially he went around the defence on the outside solely depending on pace.
The conversion was missed but Combe were again allowed to hope.
But it was Redruth that provided the grand-stand finish without seemingly to step up a gear. Ten minutes after Combe's try their scrum-half Greg Goodfellow crossed, working off the base of a scrum, Aaron Penberthy converted.
Redruth didn't seem particularly bothered about a bonus try but they achieved it with seconds remaining in the corner with the substitute No. 8 Craig Bonds getting the touch-down with little opposition and his fellow forwards having done the work from the 5-metre line.
The visitors would have left well pleased with their afternoon's work but for Combe the nature of this defeat was as hard to bear as Lydney's visit.

Combe's Team: Chris O'Neill; Bradley Keyton, Ben Hough, Nikki Davies, Ryan Fuller; Luke Giles (Joseph Simpson 47m.), Jamie Stevenson (Tom Daniels 29m.); Ben McKinnell, Harry Fry, Jordan Mitchell (Nick Coles 52m.), Dale Bellinger, Tom Clarke (Mark Deaville 73m.), Hamish Barton, George Blomfield, John West.

Match Reporter: Mike Attewell.