SECOND XV RUGBY MATCH REPORT

 

SKIPTON A 47 – 29 DONCASTER PHOENIX A

 

A twelve try festive feast put Skipton back in the winning enclosure after a lean month. A quick tap penalty released the ever-alert Callum Cameron to nip in for his first try in senior rugby. Then a pop pass released Matthew Cox who burst through before popping a pass back to Brian Brocksom to score under the posts. The visitors’ big centre then got through some shoddy tackling to register before half-time.  Half-time – Skipton 14 Phoenix 5

 

There followed a nightmare ten-minute spell where everything went wrong for the home side. Phoenix crossed for three tries and Skipton were staring at humiliation. Skipton 14 Phoenix 22.

 

A rallying cry from the six feet six Richard Hill woke Skip from their slumbers. They then controlled the ball for the next twenty minutes with some storming running and improved continuity from the forwards. This wore down the Phoenix defence and the dam started breaking.

 

Jon Firth, Richard Hill, Peter Dutton, and Carl Watts went over from varying distances to put some daylight between the two teams. Again to their credit Phoenix came back to score.  Skipton 42 Phoenix 29. Good job the referee was keeping count.

 

Then the coup-de-grace, the fastest prop in Yorkshire, John Firth, charged from thirty yards out through the entire Phoenix pack scattering them like skittles before diving under the posts. His second of the day.

 

To complete an excellent day for the Firth family, John’s brother Jack in his first start with the A team converted six out of seven. His booming left-foot reminiscent of Bobby Charlton in his hey-day. 22 points from the brothers, superb.

 

Team

15 Jack Firth                14 John Hughes            13 Peter Dutton

12 Matthew Cox          11 Paul Arkwright        10 Brian Brocksom

9 Carl Watts                 8 Jim Wade                  7 Callum Cameron

6 Chris Sheehan           5 Richard Hill                4 Gordon Fisher

3 Stuart Harling            2 Dave Mitton               1 John Firth

 

Subs

John Greystone

 

Tries

John Firth 2, Callum Cameron, Richard Hill, Brian Brocksom, Carl Watts, Peter Dutton

    

Conversions

Jack Firth 6