Critical Week starts with a loss

Castle welcomed SS Westoe to the Demesnes for the start of an epic seven days of high class fixtures that will surely determine whether they have the credentials to play at a higher level next season or not.

Castle welcomed SS Westoe to the Demesnes for the start of an epic seven days of high class fixtures that will surely determine whether they have the credentials to play at a higher level next season or not.
After yet another week of plentiful rain there were hopes that the pitches would have recovered to some degree by a couple of drier days with warmer temperatures and a steady drying breeze. However the gods were not to smile weather-wise as another morning’s steady rain, meant that the game would be played under soggy underfoot conditions.
Westoe have been up with the league leadership all season and are one of the two sides to have beaten Castle so far this campaign so were always going to be a stern test for the Barnie side missing a couple of their first team regulars.
Barnie were out of the traps fast enough and had the better of the first encounters putting the Westoe scrum under considerable pressure and putting a number of phases together in the Westoe half. Ultimately as the pressure built, the visitors yielded a penalty and fly-half Greg Upton had no problem in potting a straightforward penalty to give Castle a 3-0 advantage.
From the restart Westoe showed they could provide their own pressure and within five minutes had evened up the score with a penalty in response.
As the game headed toward half time Castle’s best moment of the game came as Greg Upton threaded through a sumptuous chip kick down the middle of the park and fullback Adam Kicks showed he still has plenty of gas as he rocketed down the pitch, collected and dived over under the sticks for his sixth try of the season.
Castle were definitely on top at this stage and a terrific drive down the park by the forwards ended close to the Westoe tryline with a knockon and then Upton had a great solo run to the line again spoilt by a knock on at the end of it.
Westoe were not ready to concede advantage before the half time hooter though and a last series of sallies in the Castle twentytwo saw their centre break through to score and even things up prior to the break at 10-10.
At this stage it was evident that while the Westoe scrum continued to creak they were the more comfortable in the lineout and otherwise were matching Barnie in most aspects of the game.
The second half showed they were up for the fight. Suddenly they were stepping out of tackles in midfield and from a better field position inside the Barnie twentytwo this time it was the lock forward who broke through and cantered fifteen metres to the line.
Westoe with half an hour still remaining needed to show superb defence for the remainder of the game and this together with sensible use of the boot to keep Castle attacking from deep allowed them to keep Barnie out despite wave upon wave of Castle attacks for a deserved win.
Castle now need to regain focus for their visit to league leaders Durham on Wednesday evening (KO 1945) before a visit to fourth placed Consett on Saturday.