Ripon 30 - 23 Pocklington
Pocklington usually
reserve one of their poorer performances for the
visit to Ripon, and Saturday
was no exception as they went down 23-30
at Mallorie Park.
Pocklington
made a decent start, taking the game to Ripon from the off. But they missed an
early chance to go ahead when a third minute penalty into the wind drifted wide.
Ripon took play to the other end and kicked a penalty to open the scoring, then
Pocklington mistakes handed Ripon the initiative straight back, and though the
home side clearly dropped the ball five yards out on the left the referee missed
it and they were awarded a scrum that brought a blind side try and an eight point
lead.
Henry Mitchell pulled back a penalty for Phosyn Yara sponsored Pocklington,
but though they produced some decent approach play they were unable to find the
continuity needed to take control. Ripon's old hands up front also gave them a
decided advantage in the set pieces, and with Ripon's kicking game functioning
more efficiently than Pock's, it meant that Pocklington were spending long periods
in their own half. Fullback Nick Bennett and No 8 Paul Rhodes both made long dashes
out of defence and Pocklington looked to in reasonable shape as they approached
the interval only five points adrift. But the game's seminal moment came as play
went into first half injury time as Ripon attacked again and Pocklington lock,
Stewart Rowley, was harshly sin-binned for not rolling away from the tackle five
yards out. Ripon chose the scrum instead of the penalty, and with eight forwards
to Pock's seven it was no contest and the inevitable pushover try at the side
of the posts followed. There was still time for Pocklington to go for two catch
and drives in the bottom corner. But Ripon collapsed the maul to thwart the first,
then prop Nick Hobbs was stopped a foot short from the second before Pocklington
accepted a penalty which Mitchell kicked with the last play of the half to leave
Ripon leading 15-6.
Pocklington needed a big start to the second period, but
they got sucked into a close quarter battle and let Ripon again make the most
of their man advantage to cross in the corner from close range and add a touchline
conversion to extend their lead.
Pocklington were livened up by the return
of Rowley and the introduction of back row replacement Matt Davies, and though
their position initially looked hopeless they finally found the energy and acumen
to take control. Good interplay and off-loading took Pocklington unstoppably up
the middle before they exerted sustained pressure on the right. They battered
at the home line home line with a series of close range pick and drives which
eventually ended with Davies diving in for the try in the corner.
With Ripon's
pack rapidly running out of steam Pocklington suddenly
realised that they
were in the driving seat and still had a chance of getting back on terms. They
needed two scores in the final 12 minutes and duly marched back onto the attack.
But Ripon kicked a long penalty from halfway, then landed the killer blow with
the try of the day from a 60 yard burst of interpassing down the right to make
it 30-11.
Again Pocklington fought back and after a couple of good threequarter
breaks the back row took over charge into the home 22 where the pack regrouped
for hooker Dave Birch to burrow in, Mitchell converting from wide out. Time was
running out but Pocklington produced a series of drives down the right and fly
half Mitchell joined in with his forwards to rumble over in the corner for the
touchdown.
But despite numerous second half stoppages, there were only two
minutes of injury time on the clock and Pocklington's hopes of snatching a
result
were counted out as Ripon hung on for victory.