Billingham vs Harrogate

In the final move, home scrum half Elliot Husband was tackled by David Doherty as he tried to kick for touch. Luke Edwards pounced on the loose ball and scorched through the cover for the game’s winning try.

At the start of the match, Billingham No8, Danny Dixon made a powerful run through the middle and his strength in contact featured throughout the game. The home pressure continued and an astute Pete Evans cross kick was gathered by centre, Andrew Gardner who scored out wide. Billingham then had to defend desperately against a series of Harrogate driving mauls and, when they went offside, Luke White’s penalty opened Harrogate’s account.

Fifteen minutes into the game, Harrogate No 8, Tim Heaton had to leave the field with a cut eye which needed stitching. Billingham didn’t have a doctor in attendance so a Harrogate supporter had to take him to hospital and, though it was a straightforward repair job, he didn’t get back till after the final whistle. Harrogate Head Coach, Andy Boyde and Club Captain, Tom Harvey insisted that I stress how much Tim was missed.

Sustained Billingham pressure then led to their second try from flanker, Dan Burns. Harrogate regrouped and their attacks led to another Billingham offside offence and White’s second penalty goal. Yet more Harrogate pressure followed which led to a series of home penalty offences in “the red zone”. However, no further sanctions were awarded against Billingham and White’s third penalty goal made the score 10-9.

A brilliant jinking run from Billingham’s Pete Evans led to their next try. He split Harrogate’s defence and delivered a scoring pass to winger, Martin Hopley. The conversion made the score 17-9. Another powerful Dixon run threatened to extend the lead but a crunching tackle from skipper, Danny Matthews forced him into touch just before half time.

Harrogate came out of their blocks from the restart and, yet again, forced the Billingham defence to concede penalties in the “red zone”. A long Billingham clearance led to a home counter attack and Harrogate’s Edwards went offside inside the 22. This was deemed to be a yellow card offence and a successful Billingham penalty kick made the score 20-9.

From a seemingly hopeless situation, Harrogate went up a gear and a series of attacks forced the home defence into conceding a string of penalties. A yellow card was eventually given and Harrogate opted to kick for touch and an attacking line-out. However, the kick failed to find touch and Billingham cleared.

Harrogate power play took control for the rest of the match. Forward pressure eventually created a gap for Olly Rosillo to score in the corner and White’s conversion made it 20-16. Billingham’s long restart kick was fielded by Matthews and passed to Harry Barnard almost on the Harrogate goal line. Barnard’s pace burst through the first attempted tackle and his strength and guile took him the length of the field to the Billingham goal line. He was finally tackled in the act of touching down and was adjudged not to have grounded properly.

The Harrogate pressure continued well into injury time and it was this pressure which led to the missed Billingham clearance kick and Edwards’s dramatic winning try. At the end, there was a moment of stunned silence from both sets of supporters.

Billingham: Wilson, Hopley, Gardner, J Evans, Kirby, P Evans, Husband, Brace, Wallace, Sunley, Macalorum, Whinn, Burns, Jackson, Dixon. Subs:- Reay, Walton, Briggs

Harrogate: Rosillo, Barnard, Edwards, Minikin, Lawson, White, Matthews, Purkiss-McEndoo, Yorke, Ward, Harvey, Brady, Grahamslaw, J Coser, Heaton. Subs:- Maycock, Doherty, Peace.

Referee: Owen Taylor (Northern Division)

Match report by Bill Barrack