NORTHALLERTON 8 – 10 SKIPTON

Skipton’s league programme reached the half way stage with a hard earned victory at Northallerton to preserve their unbeaten away record and keep the Reds in second place in the league. Lowly Northallerton belied their league position proving tough streetwise opponents who competed in all areas of the field. They initially disrupted the much vaunted and highly respected Skipton lineout and scrummage as few other sides have done this season.

Skipton controlled the initial phases of play and stand off Darren Howson had a golden opportunity to open the scoring with an early penalty kick. The prevailing wind drifted the ball near to the uprights, which were far shorter than usual, and the touch judges after initial looking unsure as to the ball trajectory disallowed the kick. Undaunted Skipton, playing the first half down the substantial slope, set off to try and build a defendable lead. Scrum half Chris Wibberley broke down the short-side of a set piece and found hooker Gavin Petterd in support. It is unusual for a front row forward like Petterd to find himself supporting open play as regularly as he does. At times it is like having an extra back row forward and he fed inside for second row Malcolm Willsher to score his first try for the club. Howson’s conversion slid past the sticks but Skipton were on their way, or so everyone including the home support assumed. Northallerton had other ideas and they set about the visitors with some real gusto. First stand off Norton dropped a goal to close the gap before the home pack engineered an opening for flanker Turner to give Northallerton a shock half time lead.

Half time saw a tactical replacement of a most unusual kind. Prop Phil Crossman had been getting on the wrong side of referee Houchin who repeatedly penalised the Skipton man for ‘boring-in’. This was against an opponent who showed a distinct lack of appetite for the basics of scrummaging and folded like a fish in a Las Vegas poker game. Crossman was in danger of seeing yellow so was replaced by James Riches and normal service was restored. Skipton’s superior fitness, technique and belief started to tell as the half went on and a further Skipton score seemed inevitable. The Willsher brothers managed to establish a hold on the lineouts and the feeling was that the home team would be unable to respond if Skipton could force their way ahead for a second time. Iain Sneddon showed what a valuable and versatile member of the squad he is by filling his old centre berth at short notice dovetailing with the promising James Burke to drive Skipton forward.

It was a case, or several cases, of so near yet so far as the game went on as a succession of Skipton attacks came up short. Wingers Mike Beech and Richard Dillon and forwards Matthew Boatwright, Moa Meki, Petterd, Vinny Murphy and Adam Oldfield all crossed the line but had their ‘scores’ chalked off by the official.

Skipton finally remembered that while form is temporary class is permanent and produced their best passage of play since the opening spell as the final whistle approached. A concerted drive uphill, led by the redoubtable Murphy and Meki continued, on towards the summit and this left the home side short of troops defend their line. Wingman Dillon finished off the move to touch down and finally deliver a knockout blow to worthy opponents. That the conversion missed mattered little as a relieved Skipton ran down the clock.

After the match Director of Rugby David Stephens was full of praise for the younger members of the team. ‘Chris Wilkinson and James Burke showed tremendous maturity throughout and second half replacement Paddy Murray added a new dimension to the forward play ’ He also said the game was a ‘wake up call to the players’ and thought there were signs of mental fatigue in the first half. This win showed that every victory, even against teams toward the bottom of the league, could only be earned through total concentration.