Half backs, Danny Matthews and Luke White made good use of early possession and a White cross kick fractionally eluded flying winger, Harry Barnard. Sandal quickly responded and their right winger, Cam Bainbridge ran powerfully before being tackled into touch. A series of Harrogate driving mauls led to a Sandal offside offence and White’s penalty kick opened the scoring. From the restart, Sandal knocked on and another White cross kick was brilliantly taken by Barnard who made ground before delivering a scoring pass to Luke Edwards.

A series of dominant Harrogate scrums maintained the home pressure and sustained backs inter passing created space for a Barnard try. It was then Harrogate’s turn to knock on at the restart but their forwards drove Sandal backwards at the subsequent scrum and the pressure continued. A Sandal offside offence was punished by a huge White 45 metres penalty kick to make the half time score 16-0.

The second half started with an even period of play and Sandal attacks forced the Harrogate defence into conceding penalties. A crunching White tackle ended a powerful Sandal forward drive but they regained possession and Bainbridge raced in to score a converted try from a Tom Allott attacking chip. A 30 metres Harrogate driving maul ended with a knock on near the Sandal goal line but unrelenting home pressure continued until Allott intercepted a pass inside his own 22 and ran strongly for a brilliant individual converted try.

The score was now 16-14 but a period of absolute Harrogate domination ended any Sandal hopes of a recovery. Sustained driving mauls were well defended until Charley Purkiss-McEndoo drove in low to score a converted try. Replacement back, Oli Rossillo initiated an attack on the right and the ball was recycled left for opposite winger Andrew Lawson to burst through the defence and gather his own attacking chip to score under the posts.

Still more Harrogate attacks followed and Edwards made a midfield break then chipped ahead for fellow centre Noel Minikin to gather and score. Barnard’s strong running featured strongly throughout the match so it was fitting that he should score Harrogate’s final try. Sandal attacked from a quickly taken penalty but Harrogate won turnover ball which was passed to Barnard who ran in a spectacular 80 metres converted try. Sandal continued to compete to the end and, in injury time, substitute forward, Dom Walsh scored a converted try.

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

Sandal: Townend, Martin, Nolson, Ellar, Bainbridge, Allott, Morecombe, Purcell, Edler, Baxter, Oxley,
L Norbury, Stewart, Coad, Carolan. Subs:- A Norbury, Fountain, Walsh

Referee: Jack Le Feuvre (Northern Division)

Match report by Bill Barrack