2012-1-07 Scarborough 20 vs 21 York

Scarborough 20; York 21

 

Report by Dave Campbell

 

York: 21

Tries: Downey 6 min  Maud  14 min  Goals: Conversion: Dawes 6 min  Penalties: 55, 72 and 78 mins

 

Scarborough: 20

Tries:  Cutino 30min Ingham 38min Goals: Harrison Conversions: 30 and 38 mins Penalties: 34 and 70 mins

 

 

Scarborough sleep walked through the opening stages of the game as if sated by festival indulgence conceding a couple of relatively soft tries in the process; the first from a maul just outside their 22 when York streamed through a gap in mid-field and left wing Rich Downey waltzed between the sticks to open the scoring.

Fly-half Jon Dawes added the extras for a 7-0 lead in the 6th minute.

 

The Minster-men laid siege to the Scarborough line and only poor handling and indecision prevented them from adding to their tally. However they stretched their lead to 12-0 in the 14th minute when a misdirected Scarborough clearance found a pair of York hands and a swift move down the right flank saw back-row Joe Maud, up in support, power over. Dawes conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

 

York continued to dominate possession and territory but the visitors had upped their game and some solid defensive work with flanker Chris Purdy to the fore kept them in the game. Harrison got his kicking game going and some howitzer-like efforts gained good field position. Good work by the Scarborough number ten and his halfback partner Jake Rollinson combined with some meaty stuff from lock Phil Watson was getting the visitors onto the front foot and from pressure deep in the York 22, flanker Charlie Hoggard popped up a pass for prop Nino Cutino to barge over on the half-hour. Harrison converted to reduce the arrears to five points at 7-12.

 

Harrison reduced the arrears to a couple of points four minutes later with a well struck penalty.  Decisive incisions by Harrison and Ratcliffe took Scarborough almost to the home line. York infringed in front of their own posts and from a Jake Rollinson tap, skipper Nick Ingham was driven over from short range in the 38th  minute. Harrison’s conversion took the visitors to the break ahead for the first time in the game at 17-12.

 

With Matthew Else moving into the second row for Watson who came off at half time with a calf injury, Hoggard took his place at No8 and Luke Raines came on in the back row.  Skipper Ingham’s men took the initiative early in the half driving deep into home territory with some searing runs from Harrison, Ratcliffe, fullback Rob James and wing Corey Dennis stretching the York defence. However on several occasions great work by the York back three kept their side in the game.

 

Ratcliffe’s deceptive pace and guile took him past half the York side in the 53rd  minute and looked certain to take him to the line when he outstripped his opposite number Jamie Everleigh, however a tap tackle from Atkinson stopped the big winger and following a bit of ‘argy bargy’ in the aftermath, York were awarded a penalty and the chance was gone.  As the action swung from end to end York were awarded a further penalty in the visitor’s half and Dawes cut the lead to 17-15 with the kick in the 55th minute.

 

Going into the final quarter and Graeme Jeffrey on at fullback and with James replacing Rollinson at scrum-half, the game still ebbed and flowed but Scarborough always looked the more likely to score a try and when Dennis swooped on a loose ball on halfway he sprinted to the line and looked certain to score his first try for the club.  However as he stepped inside a York defender with the line in sight he was gobbled up by a great cover tackle by Atkinson and knocked on in the process.

 

Further good work by James, substitute Graeme Jeffrey and Dennis saw the visitors go close before Harrison stretched the lead to 20-15 with a penalty in the 70th  minute.

 

The last ten minutes was a nightmare for the visitors with a plethora of penalties conceded and Dawes stroked over a couple in the 72nd and 78th minutes to snatch the points.

 

Coach Dave Beck and his charges will be very disappointed at once again losing a game late on and by a narrow margin. However, a great first half fight back and their defensive performance after a jittery start will have given them heart for next week’s home clash with Pontefract. 

 

Scarborough: James Ratcliffe White Farrell Dennis Harrison Rowlinson Cutino Williams Fish Ingham (capt) Watson Purdy Hoggard Else Substitutes: Lowde Jeffrey Raines (all used second half.