However, in the last move of the half, Sandal were awarded a penalty try to make it 18-29 at the break. Sandal had the slope advantage in the 2nd half and took full advantage of it. Most of the 2nd half was played in the Harrogate 22 but doughty defence held firm until, with 5 minutes remaining, Sandal were awarded another penalty try to make it 25-29. Still more Sandal pressure followed but Harrogate’s well disciplined and well organized defence kept them out for the narrowest of wins.

An early Harrogate driving maul produced quick ball and an incisive Luke White break. Sam Parry was in support to score with White’s conversion making it 0-7 after 5 minutes. A Sandal scrum offence led to a Harrogate penalty on halfway and a towering White kick made it 0-10. Harrogate then conceded a penalty in the loose and Luke Punton’s kick opened the home account. Another Punton penalty made it 6-10 but, after 25 minutes, Harrogate set up a driving maul from an attacking line-out and Sam Brady crashed over to score.

Still more Harrogate attacks followed but the home defence narrowly won the chase to touch down a White attacking chip over the goal line. Jonny Coser then broke strongly from the back of a 5 metres scrum and Andy Boyde was in support to score a converted try. A well worked Sandal backs move then led to a classy Greg Wood try and more home attacks followed. A huge Oli Rosillo clearance relieved the pressure. Parry then fielded a Sandal clearance and scythed through the home defence for an outstanding 40 metres converted try. This made it 11-29 with half time approaching. The Sandal penalty try then made it 18-29 at the break with Brady dispatched to the sin bin. Most people, apart from the Sandal players, expected a comfortable Harrogate victory to follow.

From the restart, Sandal took full advantage of the slope and the 7 man Harrogate scrum to mount pressure. This pattern continued throughout the half but heroic Harrogate defence kept them at bay. Later in the half, Boyde was yellow carded to give Sandal another 10 minutes of numerical advantage but they still couldn’t break Harrogate’s defence. The late penalty try gave them a glimmer of hope but it was not to be. Both teams gave the spectators an enthralling game to watch but it’s an unfortunate sign of the times to have to say that almost everybody, including me, had forgotten that this was also a Yorkshire Cup match

Sandal: Townend, Frewin, MacGregor, Wood, Ellar, Punton, Morecombe, Purcell, Gibson, Baxter, D Thompson, A Thompson, E Thompson, Hopkinson, Carolan. Subs:- Norbury, Stewart, Bedford

Harrogate: Rosillo, Barnard, Knowles, Fox, Parry, White, Matthews, Martin, Driscoll, Musetti, Brady, Boyde, Dodds, Tasker, Coser. Subs:- Yorke, Heaton, Doherty

Referee: Tom Hurdley (North)

Match report by Bill Barrack