Pocklington 18 - 12 Leodiensian
Pocklington recorded victory over the side directly below them in the Yorkshire Two table, Leodiensian, in a scrappy encounter at Percy Road.
Pocklington made a handful of changes from the side that had showed up so well at Ribblesdale seven days earlier. Skipper Sandy Mitchell was prompting from the bench after being working the previous week, while Harry Allen was back on the wing after supporting former Pocklington threequarter, and lead singer of indy group 'The Hair', at launch of his band's new single. The replacement prop was Newcastle student, Nick Hobbs, who had stayed back in the north east the previous weekend to link up with his big mate and ex-Pocklington front row colleague, Rob Webber, who was playing for Wasps against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership.
But if Pocklington's Ribblesdale win was a triumph for endeavour and committment, Saturday was less gripping, and the main talking point of the game came when referee Neil Gaskell pulled a hamstring just before halftime, when Pocklington were leading 15-7. When he could not continue Pocklington member and qualified referee Paul Rhodes was press-ganged into taking the whistle, but though Leos agreed to the change at the interval, they proceeded to spend most of the second period complaining about the decisions, despite 'winning' the half 5-3. And this combined with the fact that the physios spent almost as much time on the pitch as the players attending to a variety of minor injuries, meant that the game meandered to a stop-start conclusion.
The opening had been much more enterprising. Phosyn Yara sponsored Pocklington pressed from the kick off and went ahead after just two minutes. Leos were pinned deep in their own territory, then the home pack produced an unstoppable 20 yard drive from a lineout and flanker Scott Littlefair claimed the touchdown. Defensively, Pocklington produced an odd mix of big hits and missed tackles, and poor defence on the quarter hour let a Leos centre stroll under the posts, the simple conversion giving them the lead.
But Pocklington still looked the
livelier side, and Nick Bennett kicked a good penalty from 38 yards to put his
side back in front. Pocklington then had a spell of intense pressure that saw
thewm twice held up over the line, and No 8
Dan Wilson and scrum half Chris
Pottage both had claims for a touchdown turned down as they dived in. Pocklington
finally made their advantage tell as they put together the best move of the game.
Centre Tom Stokes surged down the left from halfway, spinning out of the tackle
to break free. Then ten players handled as play was taken on left before being
brought smartly back right where wing Harry Allen sprinted over in the corner,
Bennett converting from the touchline.
That provided the high spot of the
first half, as Pocklington kept moving forward but then gave away penalties at
the breakdown to give the initiative back to Leos. And there was little open rugby
as it became a staccato affair in the
second half, though Pocklington spent
long periods on the attack without turning pressure into points. More slack tackling
let Leos break clear down the right for a second try, while Pocklington could
only reply with another Bennett penalty.
The game was still in the balance going into the last quarter. Pocklington lost their best forward, Dave Birch with a leg problem, and Leos finished the stronger as they tried to turn the tables. Leos had a series of attacks in the closing minutes that saw them come close on both flanks, but Stokes pulled off a couple of marvellous cover tackles, and the home pack took a crucial scrum against the head as they held out for victory.
The
win moves Pocklington one place up the table to sixth, and they still have a big
part to play in the Yorkshire Two promotion race which currently sees the five
teams in the chasing pack separated by just two points.