After 5 minutes, a well controlled drive took the homes side some 35 metres into the Nuneaton 22 metre area. Quickly released ball was then spun left and Noel Minikin cut through for a well taken

Nuneaton went on the attack from the restart but Harrogate turned their ball over and Callum Irvine carried the move on but the supporting player knocked on. This pattern repeated itself throughout the game although the greasy conditions did make handling difficult.

A home offside offence at a scrum led to a quickly taken Nuneaton penalty and centre, Will Cave, outpaced the defence for an under the posts try, converted by Lee Chapman. The Nuns then took the lead with a Chapman penalty for a Harrogate offside offence.

More well controlled driving mauls sucked in the visiting defence and, just before the break, Peacey powered through a gap for a converted try to give Harrogate a 14-10 half time lead.

Harrogate attacked from the start of the second period but lost possession and Nuneaton counter attacked. An attacking line-out produced quick ball for them and winger, Elliot Brown scored a fine converted try. Harrogate’s replacement No8, Harry Hannan, then burst through Nuneaton’s midfield and Nuneaton went offside from the subsequent ruck. Rowntree’s penalty made it 14-14 and, in the last move of the match, Nuneaton again went offside on the halfway line. A successful kick would have won the game for Harrogate but it was just out of his range.

Harrogate: Smithies, Rowntree, Edwards, Heaton, Minikin, Irvine, Wickham, Browne, Yorke (Maycock 57), Fraser, Spencer, S Brady (Hannan 49), J Brady, Maud (Beaumont 69), Peacey (Wilson 57).

Nuneaton: Cooksammy, Johnson, Cave, Douglas, Brown, Chapman, Thomas (Jolly 72), Ryan (Woodfield 46), Taylor, Pateman (Ross 78), Ward, Aston, Turner

Referee: Luke Haskins (RFU)

Match report by Bill Barrack
Photos by Richard Bown and David Aspinall