RUGBY UNION –
KNOTTINGLEY 15 – 17 SKIPTON
Skipton won
again and stay top of the league table but this was a tough contest in a game
littered with injuries due to the robust style of play for which the
Knottingley heavyweight forwards are noted. Nevertheless it was a clean game, well
controlled by referee Mr Scott, who knew it was a key match between teams who
at the start were first and second in the table.
By half time,
Skipton had three players off the field with injuries and all substitutes in
use and during the second half were often down to fourteen men. Nevertheless,
this year’s team showed that they have tremendous character when the odds are
against them and their performance in holding out for another win was awesome
in the second half. The team deserves
more praise for this performance than even the acclaim they have received for
recent high scoring successes.
The game
started quietly with both teams taking time to get the measure of each other. But once the Knottingley forwards got into
their stride they started to pound the Skipton line and after a sustained
period of pressure they opened the scoring with a push over try but fortunately
this went unconverted. Already the Reds were down to fourteen men as prop Peter
Jenkinson had been yellow carded for an infringement in the desperate attempt
to keep them out.
For the rest
of the first half this pressure continued but the Reds stayed disciplined
directed by the half back pair of Adam Oldfield and the ever calm captain
Darren Howson and the entire team worked tirelessly. Then with minutes to go before the half time
whistle, Moa Meki burst through for a try which Howson converted and then
followed this with a successful penalty kick to give Skipton a 10-5 half time
lead.
However, by
now the physical pressure had taken its toll with backs Lee Battle, Hamish
Munro and George Smithson all off with injuries, several players limping and
all substitutes in use.
These
difficulties were compounded in the second half when several further players,
particularly influential prop Phil Crossman, were off for lineside treatment,
and then, when Peter Jenkinson received a second yellow card, the Reds played
out the game with only fourteen men.
Nevertheless,
the second half started well when centre James Burke whizzed through for a try
and with this safely converted by Howson, Skipton were 17-5 in the lead. But then Knottingley threw everything at the
weakened Reds team and Skipton’s defence was heroic.
The only
survivors of the original back line, Alex Naylor and James Burke, tackled
fearlessly and different forwards, including Matthew Boatwright, Patrick Murray
and Paul Shearer all had to do duty in the backs. Special mention must be made of winger Liam
Ray who, having played for Ermysteds in the morning, travelled with the team to
be on the bench but ended up playing his second full game of the day and still
had plenty of gas in the tank.
However it was
Skipton’s forwards who took the brunt of the assault – Phil Crossman, the
Willsher brothers and Richard Hill being prominent all day. Hooker Chris
Sheehan was man of the match for an outstanding performance in every respect
and Moa Meki, who had to play in several different positions, was also outstanding.
In the final
minutes Knottingley forced through for two tries to bring their total to 15
points but an off form kicker missed both conversions and Skipton survived to
win and stay top of the table. It was an
exhausted and battered team that proudly left the field to much applause from
the large contingent of travelling supporters.