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Knottingley 10 - 13 Pocklington

Pocklington produced a battling performance against the odds to gain an excellent win at Knottingley.
Hit by call-offs before the start they had two backs making their first team debut. Former Orrell and Rochdale threequarter Andy Rowlinson got a first start on the wing, but soon moved inside to centre and played his full part in a rock-solid midfield defence that never gave the much-vaunted Knottingley backs a look in. And after the early injury reshuffle home grown Martin Scott came off the bench and got better and better as the afternoon went on, including playing a major part in Pocklington's winning score.
Knottingley is invariably an entertaining but intimidating place, both on the pitch and the touchline, and the home side were confident of success after losing just once in their last 14 games to reach second place in the Yorkshire Two table. But Phosyn Yara sponsored Pocklington began in determined mood, despite playing into a considerable wind. And when the home pack was penalized three times in quick succession, Pocklington produced a series of close range pack drives that ended with scrum half Chris Pottage, who improves with every match, spinning off the back of a ruck to score inside five minutes.
But Knottingley were level just three minutes later when they replied in kind from a lineout catch and drive after a Pocklington clearance had held up in the wind and failed to reach touch.
Despite losing lock Stewart Rowley with a shoulder injury, Pocklington's forwards were outplaying the Knottingley eight, and after a 20 yard pack drive up the right from a lineout, hooker Dave Birch burst free on the blind side to cross in the corner. Knottingley failed to make best use of the elements as Pocklington continued to force them onto the back foot, and Pocklington looked set to go into the interval with a five point lead and the wind advantage to come after the break. However, in the seventh minute of first half stoppage time Knottingley pulled level when they threw a long pass left that hit the ground but then stood up perfectly to allow the home wing to sprint in at the corner.
Pocklington immediately suffered a further blow when Mark Biggin was also unable to continue, leaving them without either a recognized second row or lineout jumper. It meant they were always going to struggle in the set pieces, but the makeshift pack stuck to its task magnificently, with the back row of man of the match Scott Littlefair, Matt Atkinson and Dan Wilson outstanding.
Pocklington went straight onto the attack and Henry Mitchell fired a drop goal just wide. Then another attack produced a three on one on the blind side only for Knottingley's wing to intercept the last pass and race free down the left touchline. But Birch came to the rescue as the pacey hooker chased down the home wing with a remarkable 70 yard pursuit that stopped a certain try, and fullback Nick Bennett arrived to complete the job with a 60 yard clearance kick.
But the longer the second half went on, the more Knottingley's bigger forwards gained the upper hand, and Pocklington's tackling needed to be resolute to keep them out. Knottingley saw a penalty attempt hit a post and come out and the grateful Atkinson muscled upfield to safety. Pocklington's superior tactical kicking gave them respite, then their tiring pack got a welcome ten minute boost when a home second row threw a punch in front of the referee and was sent to the sin-bin.
Wing Scott then surged up the left flank, No 8 Dan Wilson made yet another powerful charge infield, John-Paul Kelly took it on, and the position was perfect for Mitchell to drop a goal to put his side back in front with 11 minutes to go.
Knottingley still believed they could get back on terms. But Pocklington's pack, that now had prop Kelly and coach Adam Lakin as its second row pairing, hit low and hard when the home forwards tried to come through the middle, and when Knottingley tried to go wide centre Tom Stokes, as ever, made big tackles to knock them back.
Pocklington had a couple of chances to seal it late on as they created a midfield overlap only to spill the ball, then Stokes sliced through but was felled by a last-gasp ankle-tap. But it was fitting that they made sure of a deserved victory not by an attacking break but by big defence that pinned Knottingley in their own territory to the final whistle.