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Goole 12 - 18 Pocklington

So near and yet so far. Pocklington did everything in their control by winning away to Goole on the last day of the league season, but they missed out on promotion from Yorkshire Two on points difference because their nearest rivals, Heath, also won at home to North Ribblesdale.

Everything was set for a fitting end of season occasion, with a big crowd watching a local derby that had so much depending on it. The game was played in baking conditions, with Goole having watered the pitch since the previous Tuesday to get the going reduced from rock-hard to hard. And Pocklington were given the perfect lead by the club's Under 10s side who played Goole in a curtain raiser and won by four tries to three, then lined up to clap and cheer the senior side onto the pitch.

It was only Pocklington's excellent form and results in the last two months of the campaign that had kept the promotion race alive. And though Goole had lost at home just twice all season, Pocklington's pack took immediate control, winning the both quality and quantity of possession from the start. It enabled stand off Henry Mitchell to put his side on the attack with kicks to both corners. And after the Pock pack had been forced into touch a few yards out on the left, Henry Mitchell was on target with a penalty goal for offside in the tenth minute to give his side the lead. Phosyn Yara sponsored Pocklington went straight back onto the attack, centre Tom Stokes and flanker Dan Wilson both came close to breaking through, before Henry Mitchell added a second penalty from 40 yards that hit the post and went over.

Goole had never been in Pocklington's half during the first 20 minutes, but when Pocklington failed to use an overlap on the left they killed the ball and gave the home side an unsuccessful penalty shot. Pocklington were then guilty of ball watching at a Goole kick, and when they let it bounce it sat up invitingly for the home side they went under the posts for a converted try to edge a point ahead.

Pocklington made a swift response by launching a couple of passages of expansive handling only to drop the ball when the cover had been split. They came again with skipper Sandy Mitchell at the heart of an excellent 60 yard, six man move. The ball was recycled and Tim Nixon came in from the right wing to steam up the middle and stretch over for Henry Mitchell to convert.

Pocklington had the chances to move out of sight on either side of the interval. Goole collapsed a maul as Pocklington tried to drive over from a lineout at the end of the first half, more great handling got the backs clear but play was brought back for a marginal forward pass, then Henry Mitchell tried a drop goal that most of the crowd thought had gone over but which the referee ruled had slid wide.

After the break Pocklington messed up on a pushover try after shunting the home pack back over their own line, then Goole somehow survived in holding out when they were reduced to 13 men when they had two players sin-binned in as many minutes for foul play.

Goole saw a penalty kick go wide but they continued to live on the edge as they were pulled up for punching, and Pocklington's catch and drive rumble from the penalty was held on the line. However, the pressure eventually told as replacement fullback Joe Holbrough made a stunning break down the left flank from a clearance kick, flanker Scott Littlefair provided the link, then play was switched right along the line and Stokes dived over in the corner.

That should have been the signal for Pocklington to close out the game, but Goole launched a last quarter rally to put them back in with a shout. Pocklington needed some strong tackling, a scrum against the head and another Holbrough gallop to repulse a Goole charge, but a mis-directed kick saw Goole counter attack from their own half to score at the flag and close the gap to six points.

Pocklington shut up shop through their pack in an effort to run down the clock, but they still had a last gasp scare as Goole again broke out with the last move of the day before Pocklington's defence scrambled back to force a knock on and herald the final whistle.