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Knottingley 21 - 17 Pocklington

Pocklington‘s brave fightback was not quite enough at Knottingley where their young side scored two late tries but went down to a narrow defeat.

With the game having been rescheduled for an originally blank weekend after being previously postponed due to weather conditions, Pocklington headed for Knottingley without a number of experienced regulars and trusted in youth. Their lineup contained five teenagers, debutant lock Steve Barton, and overall the team had an average age of just 20. However, they gelled immediately to take the game to the home side and came close to scoring three times in the first ten minutes. Fullback Steve Shephard was unlucky when he spotted his opposite number out of position and chipped over, only for the ball to bounce backwards back over his head when he looked in. The prop Chris Morton was almost over on the right and centre Nick Bennett stopped a yard short on the left before Bennett finally gave them the lead with a penalty from in front of the posts.

Knottingley then took over, using their big forwards up the middle to camp in Pocklington’s half for long periods. And the home side moved 9-3 up at the interval with three well struck penalties in the 20th, 28th and 32nd minutes.

Pocklington's inexperience showed when they were caught napping at the start to the second half. They made a mess of the kick off and Knottingley took full advantage to force a close range lineout and wrestle over for a catch and drive try that they converted from the touchline. Pocklington’s lack of their regular lineout men was also costing them as they were turned over on several occasions, and on one of them the home backs then broke through in midfield to score wide on the right.

Knottingley looked home and dry at 21-3, but Pocklington came storming back with number eight Matt Davies driving them forward and teenage backs Shephard and Jack Holbrough making several powerful runs. Lock Ed Bean was held up in goal, Shephard jinked through but was stopped a yard out, then Davies and hooker Dave Birch were both held on the line. Finally they made the breakthrough as Birch again went for the line and when the ball came back 18-year old replacement front-rower John Aikman was in support of the threequarters and carved through to the posts, with Bennett converting.

Pocklington exerted more pressure and backs and forwards combined to take play back into the home 22. Wing Rich Morley broke from the base of the maul and the ball was transferred to midfield where centre Holbrough stormed over. Bennett added another conversion.

Knottingley were hanging on, but Pocklington’s rally ran out of time and the final whistle soon after left them still short, but with considerable positives to take from the overall showing of their youngsters.