2011-09-10 1ST XV vs Castleford

Scarborough 32; Castleford 39

By Dave Campbell

Scarborough:

Tries: Ratcliffe (2) 21 73mins, James 28min, Jeffrey 60mins, Cutino 69mins Goals: Harrison 2 con, 1pen.

Castleford:

Tries: Philpott 33min, Jeffles 40, 45, 57mins, Johnson 41 Goals: Mattison 4 cons, 2 pens.

Referee Mr Graeme Hall, Ilkley.

In an extraordinary game played in warm sunshine at Silver Royd Scarborough and Castleford ran in five tries apiece in a display of attacking thrills and defensive frailty on both sides.  Having turned in a fighting performance for the first forty minutes of the game playing into a stiff southerly breeze, an eight minute period when they switched off just before and just after the break, saw the Seasiders concede three tries which turned the game on its head.

Playing into the wind Scarborough were unfortunate to have a try disallowed in the 4th minute when a slick move up the home right flank saw fullback Graeme Jeffrey power over. However referee Mr Hall spotted an infringement and play was brought back. Castleford fly-half Martin Dye who was having an influential game kept pumping the ball downfield with the wind and Scarborough infringements in the 9th and 11th minutes saw scrum-half Ian Mattison stroke both kicks over for a 6-0 lead. Scarborough looked dangerous every time they went forward and it was no surprise when quick hands sent right wing Tom Ratcliffe over in the corner to reduce the arrears to one point in the 18th minute.

Scarborough continued to press and good work by prop Nino Cutino and centre Rob James took their side to the line where they were held up. However Mr Hall saw some foul play and Castleford lock Phil Smith was despatched to the sin bin. With the visitors reduced to 14 men skipper Nick Ingham’s men put pressure on the visiting defensive line and when fly-half Tom Harrison and Ratcliffe combined well surging from half way, centre Rob James was released to gallop over in the 26th minute. Harrison added the extras for 12-6.

 

Scarborough created several chances to extend their lead with the punch coming through the centre and Rob James; however dogged defence from the visitors kept their line intact but they lost the services of centre Craig Jeffels who was sin binned for a punch on a Scarborough player in the 28th minute.

Playing with 13 men the visitors attacked from first phase possession through flyhalf Dye who was on fire and they reduced the arrears when he moved the ball infield from a scrum before releasing flanker Paul Philpott who walzed through a somnambulant mid-field defence to reduce the arrears to a single point an 11-12 in the 32nd minute.

 

Scarborough almost struck back immediately when good work by Cutino, James and Jeffrey took play to the Castleford line in the 39th minute. However with Smith and Jeffels back in action that effort was repulsed and scrum-half Mattison counter-attacked from deep, sucked in the home defence and released Jeffels to score between the sticks. Mattison converted for a somewhat flattering 18-12 half time lead.

Having conceded a soft try at the end of the first half, then Scarborough conceded a couple in quick succession after the break . First prop Steve Johnson powered over from a tap penalty in the 41st minute, Jeffles adding his second following good work by flyhalf Dye four minutes later (converted by Mattison) then completing his hat-trick from a tap penalty in the 55th minute. Mattison converted for a 39-12 lead.

 

Get the calculator out we thought: not so! Solid work by the pack with No8 Phil Watson, Ian Williams and Luke Raines digging in, set a platform for a thrilling fightback which saw Scarborough score a point a minute in the twenty minutes of the game. Graeme Jeffrey grabbed his side’s third try with a jinking run down the left wing to score in the corner just after the hour for 17-39 before a drive up the left following an attacking lineout saw Cutino burrow under a pile of bodies to touch down in the 66th minute. Harrison converted to further reduce the arrears at 24-39.

   Going into the last ten minutes of the game and the flow of the game going their way hope was still alive in the home ranks that it was possible to pull off an unlikely win. With Chris Lee on for Raines and Bill Freeman on at scrum-half for Jake Rollinson the Seasiders continued to go for it. And it was no surprise therefore when Tom Ratcliffe powered over in the corner for his second try of the afternoon in the 79th minute. Harrison missed the touchline conversion but made amends with the last kick of the game when he slotted a well taken penalty to earn a second bonus point although his side when down 32-39.