LOCAL
SKIPTON THIRDS
22 – 5 HEATH THIRDS
Skipton’s 3rd XV produced probably
its best performance of the season so far in a four tries to one victory over
Heath. The real pleasing thing about
this Skipton team is the exciting potential within it, with five players 18 or
under. Victory was even sweeter as Heath
had the advantage of an extra man for most of the game, following the
non-arrival of the match referee requiring Skipton’s Andy Smith to swap his
playing kit for a referee’s whistle. For
the record Smith, like Skipton’s team, can be proud of his afternoon’s work.
On a day not ideally suited for
playing open rugby due to the swirling cross field winds, the Reds started well
and showed their intent to throw the ball around. After a great surging run by winger Will
Huggins saw full back Matthew Cox held up just short of the line, moments later
a long pass from centre Richard Marks found Cox in space to gallop over for the
opening score. Heath hit back soon after
when they used their extra muscle and extra man advantage in the scrum to score
an unconverted pushover try but the Reds still went in at half-time ahead. From a position where it looked like Heath
had an overlap to break away on the blind side, winger Jamie Smith made a
crunching tackle to turn the ball over.
Flanker Dave Wilkinson picked up and surged towards the corner. It looked like he was going all the way
himself but, symptomatic of his unselfish play all day, he popped inside for
the captain and battering ram of a scrum half Ben Oldfield to burrow his way
over from close range. Half-time 10-5 to
Skipton.
Into the second half the Reds continued
to play all the rugby and it was no surprise when hooker Harry Pointon, who
had an excellent game, went over in the corner for his side’s third try.
Finally now, Skipton had the chance now to play without one man less,
when James Boynton who had been playing on the neighbouring field for the
2nd XV came on. Soon after the match was sealed when centre
Steven Marks outpaced the Heath to also go over in the corner. On a day near on impossible for goal kickers,
fly half Adam Clarke, who had used the wind to great advantage from open play
all day, slotted the conversion between the posts to seal a 22-5 win.
To a man everyone had a good game
and special mentions should go to man of the match Dave Wilkinson, second rows
Frank Trueman and Luke Mellin, who made some big tackles and hard yards all
day, and props Richard Tordoff and Gary Marlow, who never used the numerical
disadvantage in the scrum as an excuse to stop grafting.