Scarborough 16 - 7 Pocklington
When the two
sides met at Pocklington a month ago the Panthers edged a closely contested encounter.
This time it was equally close but the boot was on the other foot as Scarborough
held out for victory.
The Panthers struggled to get going in the first half
as they were penalized at regular intervals. Scarborough kicked two penalty goals
and missed two more to lead 6-0 at the break.
Down the slope in the second
half the Panthers improved to do most of the attacking. But they then gifted Scarborough
a crucial score as they dropped the ball in a good position and the home side
scored at the other end after a kick and chase. The conversion and a subsequent
penalty just about wrapped it up for Scarborough, but the Panthers then threw
everything into a determined effort to save the game.
Ed Rook and Karl Durkin
worked a slick midfield dummy scissors for centre Jack Holbrough to slice through
to the posts, Mark Stringer drop kicking the conversion, and the Panthers hammered
at the home line for the final ten minutes but were repulsed by determined Scarborough
defence.