A hard start to the League

Ponteland fell just short at Guisborough, losing in the last minutes 19-15

With two leagues separating the teams last season the visit to Guisborough was always going to be a stern test of a young Ponteland side
The game started in warm sunny conditions as Guis ran with confidence. Good inter passing saw the home team over for a converted try 0-7 (6 min) the home team continued to run hard and Pont soaked up a lot of pressure. The set piece looked good as Pont pressurised the home scrum and sneaked a couple of their lineouts. After 20 minutes of dominant play Pont began to fight back. The home pack was shunted backwards and infringed. Holliday scooped the ball with a clear run for a try only to be brought back for a penalty to Pont !!!. Pressure produced a penalty by Chick 3-7 . It was wave after wave of Pont attacks now and a sweeping move out wide saw the last pass intercepted by the home winger to sprint 80 metres to score ( 39 min) Pont immediately replied and pressure produced a penalty. Rather than take the points they kicked to the corner and a lineout shunt saw Mew put Sam Long in for a try (40 min) HT 8-12
Pont continued were they left off and a kick through by Jezz saw further pressure on the home line. A penalty at the breakdown saw Holliday tap and score only to be brought back to take the penalty again. Incessant pressure saw the home team penalised regularly and two yellows issued. With Mcgawley on for Lawson (67 min) the Pont scrum demolished the opposition with a penalty try awarded 15-12 ( 70 min) a 30 metre driving lineout saw another penalty. The visitors kicked to the corner and began to attack when an intercepted pass saw Guisborough break out. The final pass to the winger saw him dive over in the corner and an excellent conversion made it 15-19 ( 79 min)
FT 15-19

Man of the match. Sam Long

If offered that score before the game I would gladly have taken it as most neutrals expected a heavy defeat for Ponteland. In the end it was hard to bear as Pont were the better team on the day and lost out to two interceptions clinically finished off.