Scarborough 44; Dinnington 5
Report by Dave Campbell
Scarborough: 44
Tries: Ratcliffe (3) 15, 68 and 74min, James 25 min, Edwards 34 min, Squire 39 min
Goals: Harrison conversions: 15, 25, 34 and 68 min Penalties: 10 and 30 min
Dinnington: 5
Try: Acres 40 min.
Referee: Mr Jonathon Hill
Scarborough bounced back from last week’s narrow 28-27 defeat at Settle turning on a fine display of handling as their mobile forwards and lethal back division ran in a total of six tries including a hat-trick from leading try scorer Tom Ratcliffe.
Dinnington fielded the kick-off and drove into home territory where Scarborough were penalized for handling on the ground. Flyhalf Danny Wilkinson sent play into the 22 with the penalty but good defence from flankers Chris Purdy and Luke Raines secured when the visitors lost possession from the lineout and Scarborough fly-half Tom Harrison’s massive clearance took play into the Dinnington half. From the resulting lineout the Seasiders almost drove over. However the visitors infringed in defence and Harrison slotted the penalty for a 3-0 lead in the 10th minute.
Scarborough appeared to have scored the opening try three minutes later when following excellent work by Harrison and centres Graeme Jeffrey and Marcus Edwards, fullback Rob James sprinted over only to be pulled back by referee Jonathon Hill for a forward pass. The Silver Royd faithful had only a minute to wait for the real thing when the ball was moved infield from a lineout on Scarborough’s left and Edwards scythed his way through three would-be tacklers to send Ratcliffe in at the corner. Harrison added the extras with a superb touchline conversion for 10-0 in the 15th minute.
Scarborough then turned the screw and good work by Jeffrey, James, Harrison and scrum-half Jake Rollinson in the 20th minute took them to the line where Mr Hill, not for the first time in this game stopped the action to penalize skipper Nick Ingham’s men for an unfathomable offence. However when visiting fullback Martin Lock completely misjudged a huge Garryowen from Harrison, Rob James took the rebound from his shin and galloped away to cross unopposed for a superb opportunist try. Harrison converted for 17-0 in the 25th minute. And the Seasiders’ number ten was in the thick of it in the 34th minute when he stepped on the gas just outside the visitors 22 released Edwards who took the slightly wayward pass behind him, readjusted in a flash and powered over to score. Harrison goaled for 27-0
Scarborough fumbled Dinnington’s restart and following some good rucking by the visitors on the home 22, blindside flanker Matt Acres burst through heavy traffic to score wide on the left to reduce the arrears at 27-5 in the 36th minute. Flyhalf Danny Wilkinson missed the wide conversion. The first half try-fest wasn’t yet over and when good work by Harrison and Rollison on halfway released Jeffrey, the big Geordie spun on a sixpence, and drove up the homesters’ right flank leaving three defenders in his wake before releasing right wing Rob Squires to surge over from close range. Harrison’s conversion attempt just failed but Scarborough went to the break with a 32-5 advantage and a bonus point from their four tries.
With four tries to one in the first half it may appear that Scarborough had had it all their own way but they had their share of defending to do with some great stuff from Raines, Else, Cutino, Williams, Rollinson, and the inimitable Edwards and they had much more to do after the break when the visitor’s came back strongly and camped in the Scarborough half for almost all of the third quarter. The south Yorkshiremen depended heavily on their No8 Will Marshall as ball carrier but Scarborough defended in depth although the visiting eight were bossing the set scrums at this point. However even following eight phases of play almost to the home line, a lack of composure saw Scarborough steal a fumbled ball and Harrison cleared almost to halfway.
Going into the final quarter the visitors who had by then lost the services of Marshall, injured in a tackle, appeared to have run out of steam when a thrilling move started by Harrison deep in his own half, which went the length of the field and through six pairs of hands ended with a superb second try for Ratcliff in the 68th minute. Harrison added the conversion for 39-5. The big wingman’s hat-trick came three minutes later when another move from deep in the Scarborough half involving many pairs of hands took play into the visitors’ 22. Scarborough were stopped short but were awarded a penalty for an earlier infringement. The kick was taken quickly and Harrison released Ratcliffe to gallop over in the corner in the 71st minute. Harrison just pulled the conversion. Ratcliffe could have had another couple of tries in the dying minutes when he crossed only to be brought back for a forward pass then fumbled with the line at his mercy.
Scarborough: James Ratcliffe Jeffrey Edwards Ratcliffe Harrison Rollinson Lowde Williams Cutino Ingham(c) Else Purdy Raines Watson Substitutes: Burgess, Adams Readman
Latest News 
Fixtures & Results 
