Pocklington 27 - 12 North Ribblesdale
A strong
second half showing took Pocklington to a comfortable victory at home to North
Ribblesdale. The success was based on an all round team performance which saw
the Pocklington forwards win good ball against the bigger Ribblesdale pack, while
the home backs took their chances to finish well.
But it had been far closer
in the first half. Just before kick off Pocklington received their new shirts
from sponsors Yara Phosyn, and the opening exchanges were predominately an aerial
kicking duel as the sides tested each other out. But after 12 minutes North Ribblesdale
suddenly counter attacked down the left for a 70-yard try.
It took Pocklington
25 minutes to get back on terms. A pack drive up the middle ended with industrious
flanker Scott Littlefair forcing his way under the posts. Obviously there is no
video ref at this level, but it was a cast iron try and club photographer Ted
Westmorland later produced pictorial evidence to prove it. Nevertheless, he was
adjudged to have been held up, however, the damage was limited as Pocklington
got the ball wide from the resultant scrum, and when wing Harry Allen was stopped
on the line back row Dan Wilson arrived in support to muscle over for the touchdown.
Ribblesdale
came back with concerted pressure until Tom Stokes' steal in the tackle lifted
the siege, then three minutes before the interval Nick Bennett edged Pocklington
8-5 ahead with a 40 yard penalty. With the last play of the first half Stokes
sliced through in midfield and Littlefair took it on to within a yard, but with
players queuing up to score somehow Pocklington managed to make a mess of the
golden opportunity.
However, Pocklington stepped up a gear to take control
in the second period. A couple of early raids had Ribb backpedalling, before Pocklington
produced two incisive moves down the right flank that brought a brace of carbon
copy tries in quick succession. After turning over a Ribb lineout the Pocklington
pack pounded away on the left before play was switched right and good passing
at pace freed fullback Bennett to send winger Allen sprinting over, Bennett converting
from wide out. Then another lineout success was taken on by prop Yoshi Morrells
before Allen returned the compliment to put Bennett in for the touchdown at the
right flag.
With Pocklington's lineout dominant and lock Matt Atkinson galvanizing
the pack's loose play in his first appearance of the season, Pocklington went
into the final quarter in the driving seat at 20-5.
Ribblesdale briefly raised
home anxieties when they pressed in the right corner then went over on the left
for a converted try with 12 minutes to go. But Henry Mitchell's line kicking kept
the visitors pinned in their own half to throttle any thoughts of a Ribblesdale
revival.
And Pocklington sealed victory with their fourth try in the dying
minutes. No 8 Wilson was once a star centre forward for Woodleigh School Under
10s, and he showed that he has lost none of his soccer skills to dribble the ball
from the back of a scrum then tap it sideways for fly half Henry Mitchell to dive
in for the score. Bennett added the icing by booting over the touchline conversion
to complete Pocklington's seventh successive victory over their old rivals from
Settle.