Redruth showed too much early-season exuberance for their own good and lost a game they should have won comfortably. The 16-15 defeat against National One visitors Wharfedale was entertaining fare for a first-day crowd of over 800 but while the atmosphere and superb conditions underfoot were conducive to festival rugby, what Redruth really needed to do was play their familiar hard-nosed eight- man game against a side whose strength lay in their backs.

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Redruth's experienced pack did their bit, winning ample possession at set-plays and in the loose but there was precious little phase rugby, possession was squandered behind the scrum and for all their endeavour all they had to show for it was a try in each half and a single Aaron Penberthy penalty after the break.

Wharfedale scored three penalties to stay in the game before capitalising on a Redruth line-out howler deep in the second half that gifted them a try under the posts and four points that rightfully should have stayed at the Rec.

It could have been worse against a side that will surely be title contenders come April but director of rugby Dave Penberthy knows that the Reds' failure to play to their patterns made for a frenetic game where one decisive score would settle it. It was risky rugby and the gamble didn't pay off.

Penberthy said: "We're very disappointed. Wharfedale always come down here to throw the ball around and I think we tried to do the same thing whereas really we should have had a bit more structure to our game. We were trying to score from one or two phases and it just doesn't work; you've got to wear these people down and try and get backs against forwards wide out, then the tries will come."

The Redruth chief added: "I feel we threw the ball around without really going anywhere. Five or six times in the first half we got in their 22 but we came away with only one try.

"We needed more direction and we needed to play the phases. Maybe we came through pre-season having a little too much confidence after four wins and then we've come up against a Wharfedale side that is playing very good open rugby and we've thrown it away. It was more a case of us losing the game than Wharfedale winning it."

Redruth scored their tries through centre Steve Kenward and No.8 Mark Bright and although fly-half Aaron Penberthy failed with two difficult penalty shots late on that could have snatched it at the death, the Reds know that they should have wrapped it up long before then.

Redruth: Kevern; Simmons, Thirlby, Kenward (G Thirlby 79), Pedley; Penberthy, Richards; Jacques (capt, Morcom 77), Gidlow (Brown 53), Joyce, Cook, Collins, Fuca (Duncan 60), Hambly, Bright. Replacement (not used): Notman.

Scorers: Tries – Kenward, Bright; Conversion – Penberthy; Penalty – Penberthy.

Wharfedale: Whaites; Malherbe, Hodgson, Davidson, Woodhead; Barrett (Rhodes 37), Cottrell; Steel (Chivers 63), Graham (Larkin 53), Hooper, Vaioleti, Renton (Brown 77), Hughes, Solomi, Baldwin.

Yellow card: Baldwin 62.

Scorers: Try – Hodgson; Conversion – Hodgson; Penalties – Davidson (3)

Referee: Philip Davies (RFU).

Attendance: 810