GUISBOROUGH U-15’s v HARROGATE U-15’s

Harrogate U-15’s kept their Yorkshire Cup final hopes alive for the fourth consecutive season by emerging narrow victors from a fiercely contested, ding-dong, belter of a battle at Guisborough on Sunday afternoon.

This contest always promises to be THE MATCH of the season of this age group because the clubs have such a good history of closely fought encounters where, as the lads have grown up playing against each other, usually, only a couple of points separates the sides.

No change there on Sunday then. There was nothing to separate the sides until right on half time, Harrogate successfully defended a 5 yd scrum only for Guisborough to turn the ball over, kick over the ‘Gate defence and work really fast hands through 4 players in the tram lines to create an overlap for Full Back Dave Wardell to cross the whitewash and break the deadlock.

Although the conversion was missed, usually the psychological blow of scoring immediately before the break can be a killer punch but ‘Gate came out from the kick off and pressured the Guissie defence with a kick over and chase down forcing the full back to carry over and touch down under his own posts.

‘Gate were in full blood but a knock-on gave Guissie the put in at the scrum, which ‘Gate’s Hooker Alex Nicholls won against the head for ‘Gate’s backs to move the ball to Centre Harry Skelton to power through and equalise.

The pressure was on for both sides who panicked and kicked pointlessly through several rallies of aerial ping-pong until the diminutive Will Clough caught one such high ball and changed his angle of attack and forced the gap through which the lightning David Swarbrick sped to touch down close enough to the posts for Miles Lloyd to convert.

For the remainder of the match, Guisborough camped in ‘Gate’s 22 applying intense pressure while ‘Gate defended resolutely with all of the spectators wondering if it would be a re-run of the last match between these two sides on this pitch when Guisborough equalised. But it was not to be.

Once again, Guisborough were magnanimous in defeat and entertained Harrogate royally in the clubhouse afterwards. Real Rugby – a pleasure to have been there.

Harrogate Man of the match Nick Gilbert.