Yarnbury v West Park Leeds

match report by John Rawson

Yarnbury 20 – 24 West Park – Yorks One League

West Park are a couple of wins in front of Yarnbury in the first half of the season and would expect to take the btragging rights for this local derby in Yorkshire Two League and Yarnbury were without prop Lewis Atha and speedy wing Josh Bateson and long term injured No8 Jimmy Cryan but the lads who have stepped in have been impressive.Experienced prop Richard Lister,versatile scrum half Calum Newby on the right wing and Martin Rainey Rainey with his power carries from the back of the scrum helped to destroy Grovians the week before.With stand Off Calum Smithson ex Yarnbury against young Will Marshall at the stand off position and Jack Brown ex Yarnbury at full back for West Park the game had spice and anticipation as always for this competitive fixture.

Yarnbury were immediately on the back foot and looking at a deficit as from the kick off from the home side Park looked to counter on the left and made ground .Yarnbury scrum half Les Crowther was penalised for a late tackle on the half way line and the opponents were immediately attacking the Yarnbury line in earnest.Yarnbury lost the ball in the tackle giving Park an early try left winger Harry Harrison scoring out wide left as Crowther was binned for the offense,Smithson converting with a smart kick from the touch line.Park were fired up on the new synthetic pitch and Yarnbury were immediately playing catch up rugby.Yarnbury were caught offside ein front of their posts soon after and Park worked space down the right for prop Toby Rodger to scamper over for a second unconverted try and the first quarter was won by the visitors.Yarnbury countered strongly in the second quarter and worked a smart space wide left for full back Joe Pinnick to touch down in a tight apace on the left but could not convert his own score.At least Yarnbury were working the ball and putting pressure on their opponents but mistakes at the last stopped any further score,They were then punished just before the break when Park centre Harry Ibe ran a great line through the defence to score to increase the Park lead but Yarnbury forward pressure told on the break prop Richard Lister going in as the opponents pack creaked to Yarnbury pressure and with Pinnick stand off Will Marshall swinging his boot magnificently from the touch line converted to post Yarnbury back in the game.Half time 12-17 to the visitors.

Yarnbury took the initiative from the start in the second half but West Park defence ,particularly in the middle of the park stifled the creative Yarnbury centres of James White and James Endersby being fast up from the set plays.Stand Off Will Marshall took a penalty following forward pressure to close the gap but Park were defending their line into the wind and Yarnbury could not get their next score.Winger Gareth Geoffreys countered with a sweeping run across the park and found space out wide left to race down the field dismissing tackles on his way to the line but the final pass to his co –winger Harrison put park further in front and with Smithson converting Park opened up a nine point gap .

This was the signal for the home side to take the game by the scrum of the neck and exert their power in the set piece putting pressure time and again on the visitors line .A quick counter to the right gave right winger Josh Bell the space to score as the Park defence were stretched as the balance turned to the home side for the final minutes .Yarnbury were camped on the Park line as the game became a battle of attrition.Yarnbury chasing a winning score and Park defending tenaciously.The final play saw stand off Marshal dink a kick to the corner for the unmarked Bell but the ball drifted into touch just after a pulsating game .The result could have gone either way.Yarnbury unenforced errors maybe the reason for another tight loss but a win next Saturday at bottom club Otliensians is now a must win for the Horsforth side.