LOCAL RUGBY UNION MATCH REPORT

YORK RI SECONDS 7 – 29 SKIPTON SECONDS

In a match played on a sound playing surface, Skipton chose to play with the strong wind at their backs in the first half, a tactic which gained no real advantage as the lineout was disrupted by the same gusting wind. There was also no real advantage to either side in the scrimmage. However in open play Skipton were markedly superior and this told in the early encounters with John Hughes playing at scrum-half deputizing for Shaun Barraclough who was on 1st team duty when he broke from the base of the scrum straight through the York back row and half backs to storm clear. With only the full back between him and the try line he popped the ball to Ben Davies who scored the opener.

From the restart Ash Greaves caught the ball and broke straight through to within five metres of the line when the defence caught him. Perhaps this woke up York whose defence stiffened, and they also began to attack. However Skipton held fast with back row of Murray, Mellin and Hall ready to knock down anything in their path. In a game which became littered with errors particularly from the York three quarters who struggled to catch the ball in the strong wind, the game hinged on line breaks which were frequent from the fitter faster Skipton team. Inevitably Skipton’s next score came from a break by Martin Murray who stormed clear to score a well earned try. This brought half time with Skipton well on top. The second half began with Skipton playing into the wind which soon became a hail and snow storm but still they pressed on with Murray grabbing the ball and smashing his way through the defence to storm clear and score his second of the day swiftly followed by an action replay and his hat-trick was achieved as the second half came to an end. Sean Everett burst clear in the centre to claim his second try of the season, with the normally reliable Ash Greaves struggling to kick in the strong wind, John Hughes stepped up and converted the final two tries. In the closing stages the York inside centre by far their best player cut a beautiful line to score their only points of the day.