Pocklington 5 - 20 Huddersfield YMCA
Pocklington went out of the EDF Energy Senior Vase at the third round stage in bizarre fashion as they dominated much of the match but still went down to higher league, Huddersfield YMCA, at Percy Road.
A 15 point winning margin would usually be regarded as comfortable, but in this case Pocklington attacked for 70 of the 80 minutes and were held up on or over the line at least a dozen times, only for Huddersfield to absorb everything the home side could throw at them then hit them on the break.
The first ten minutes set the tone of the game. Pocklington stormed forward from the off and Tim Nixon, back on the wing after a three week absence, beat four defenders on his way to the line only to have the ball knocked from his grasp as he went to touch down. Pocklington missed a straightforward penalty a minute later, and Huddersfield then showed them how to finish - running a try in on the left from deep in their own territory then kicking a penalty from just over halfway.
Pocklington bashed and battered at the Huddersfield line for the next 15 minutes without finding a breakthrough, though they came close with some powerful pick and drives, followed by a cross kick to the right which just avoided the support. Then Huddersfield turned the table as they went 80 yards with a kick and chase before grabbing their second score. Back came Pocklington and it was a case of third time lucky for man of the match and scrum half, Phil Priestley. He had already been held up twice in goal, but after wing Rich Morley had weaved inside to within a foot, Priestley took his chance to stretch over for the try with the last play of the first half.
It
was similar fare in the second period, with Pocklington having lots of pressure
through their stronger forwards without being able to turn it into points. Time
after time Pocklington drove to within sight of the line, but Huddersfield's streetwise
defence kept them at bay. Pocklington tried two more crosskicks to no avail, and
they dropped the ball in a promising position on a couple of occasions. However,
they were still in with a shout at 5-15, but the turning point came when main
lineout man, Mark Biggin, had to be taken off with a leg injury, and though lock
Stewart Rowley led another attack up the middle, and the forwards yet again rolled
up to the visitors line they again could not find a finish. And when Pocklington
dropped another pass in midfield, Huddersfield's lively back three landed the
killer punch with a 90 yard break to give them a third try and passage into the
next round.