The result ended Harrogate’s 10 match winning run and the 2 bonus points were scant reward for a thoroughly committed effort where they outscored Caldy by 4 tries to 2.

After weathering some early pressure, Harrogate’s Kyle Dench broke through in midfield with a trademark searing break. Steve Parsons carried on the move and Sam Bottomley was in support to score.

Caldy continued to exert pressure and a Richard Vasey penalty brought them 3 points after a Harrogate offside offence. Both sides were committed to playing attacking rugby and Harrogate’s makeshift back row played well with the aggressive Harry Hannan (normally a hooker) outstanding in attack and defence.

Harrogate’s next try was set up after winning a Caldy lineout. A well worked three-quarter move created space for Ed Smithies to make the extra man and score.

A prolonged Caldy offensive followed and Harrogate’s defence was eventually breached. Flanker Jon Sewell touched down and Vaseys’ conversion levelled the scores. Minutes later, another converted try put Caldy 17-10 ahead. A smart reverse pass from scrum half, Broxson, opened a gap for second row, Colliston, to power over.

Harrogate ended the half with waves of attacks but a desperate Caldy defence, enhanced by some strange refereeing decisions, kept them out.

After the interval, Harrogate came out of their blocks to put Caldy under still more serious pressure. The Caldy scrum half was dispossessed by Harrogate’s “Lovejoy” Wickham and Hannan’s sharp play also pressured him into mistakes. Parsons was tackled just short of the line after another long break and a Jamie Broadley scoring opportunity went begging when his attacking chip was marginally too long.

Harrogate then argued against an admittedly strange penalty decision and, from the resultant extra 10 metres, Vasey extended the Caldy lead.

The next major incident resulted in a surprising red card for Caldy’s John Nugent after a comparatively minor dust up. Harrogate continued to attack and Broadley again backed up a Parsons break to cross the line and touch down. The try was awarded but then disallowed after a very late Touch Judge intervention. However, almost immediately, some quick thinking at the front of a lineout saw Chris Wilson cross over to score.

Another Vasey penalty put Caldy further ahead and he followed this with a smartly taken drop goal to make it 26-15 at the end of normal time. Harrogate continued to take the game to Caldy and substitute flanker , Andrew Enston, scored in his first game for 3 years. Dickie Davies, who’d replaced Mike Aspinall at stand off, kicked Harrogate’s only conversion of the match to make the final score 26-22.

Caldy: McPherson, Soutar, Roberts, Cooper, Markland, Vasey, Broxson, Woods, Dowridge, Salisbury, Arnold, Collister, Dickinson, Sewell, Smithson.

Harrogate: Smithies, Parsons, Dench, Broadley, Bottomley (McGee 60), Aspinall (R Davies 60), Wickham, Browne, Spackman (Yorke 55), S Davies (Enston 70), Lewis, Brady (Sowrey 50), Hannan, Hewetson, Wilson.

Referee: S Harding (RFU)