Harrogate outscored Caldy by 4 tries to 3 to gain a welcome bonus point despite being down to 14 men for the last 30 minutes. The collective team spirit shown during this period epitomised the Harrogate team ethic.

A great Callum Irvine take from the Caldy kick-off led to forward drives with Willem Enslin well to the fore. Caldy went offside and Lewis Minikin’s penalty gave Harrogate an early lead. The home pressure continued and another Caldy offside offence conceded another penalty and it was 6-0 after 10 minutes’ play. Caldy 2nd Row, Tom Sanders won good ball from the restart to set up a driving maul, Harrogate went offside and Richard Vasey’s penalty opened Caldy’s account.

Under severe pressure, Danny Matthews secured good ball from a Caldy kick, the ball was quickly spread and Irvine’s phenomenal long range drop goal restored the 6 point difference. Caldy were still very much in contention but, after 20 minutes, Irvine intercepted a loose pass and sprinted 65 metres to score. Minikin’s touchline conversion made it 16-3.

The next event was a Yellow Card for Caldy’s Sanders and, from the subsequent penalty, Enslin drove over to score a converted try after a driving maul. However, during Sanders’s absence, Caldy’s excellent centre, Jack Lavin scored a try and Vasey kicked a penalty to see them outscore Harrogate by 8 points to 5 during the 10 minutes period before half time.

Harrogate’s backs attacked from the restart from a Charles Morgan half break. Caldy’s defence went offside and Minikin’s penalty extended the lead. An even period of play followed with Andrew Soutar, Caldy’s outstanding full-back showing real class. The ball was spread from good line-out ball and Lavin crashed through the defence to score. Harrogate counter attacked but Tom Larder was red carded for adjudged foul play and Harrogate were down to 14 men for the rest of the match. However they immediately responded when Lewis Minikin fielded a Caldy kick in deep and cut through the defence for an outstanding 50 metres try.

Harrogate’s 14 men were under pressure for the rest of the match but defended heroically. They held out from a series of Caldy attacking scrums but were eventually penalised and a quickly taken Caldy penalty resulted in an Adam Kelly try. More Caldy scrum pressure followed but Harrogate’s 7 men actually drove their pack backwards to win a relieving penalty. Defensive Harrogate pressure then led to loose ball and Irvine picked up from 35 metres to outstrip the defence for the game’s final try.

Harrogate: Morgan, Bottomley, L Minikin, N Minikin, Barnard, Irvine, Matthews, Ward, Larder, Reaveley,
J Brady, S Brady, J Coser, G Coser, Enslin. Subs:- Yorke, Cutino, Heaton, Nwanazia, Nesbitt

Caldy: Soutar, Royle, Edwards, Lavin, Eaves, Vasey, Jones, Rushton, Dowridge, Derek Salisbury, McGowan, Sanders, Crowe, Davidson, Cross. Subs:- Dan Salisbury, Williams, Dowler, Kelly, Broxson.

Referee: Claire Hodnett (RFU)

Match Report by Bill Barrack
Match photos by David Aspinall and Richard Bown