Yarnbury 1st XV v Thornensians 1st XV

match report by John Rawson

Yarnbury 30 – 14 Thornensians – Yorkshire 2 League

Yarnbury welcomed back inside centre James White after injury to add his experience in the middle of the park.Whilst Ian Maycock returned with all his many games experience into the second row for the visit of the East Yorkshire side.The second of a run of three home games at Brownberrie Lane where the home side were desperate to pick up maximum points to continue the pressure on the top of the league.Due to this rearranged league game Yarnbury called up second team captain Tom Whitfield as hooker in the absence of Chris Doyle.Tom was the 44th Yarnbury player to make an appearance in the first XV this season!

Yarnbury took the game to Thornensians from the start and the boot of full back George Oldridge mad good ground pinning the away side back in their own 22 metre area.Yarnbury squandered pressure loosing the first two line outs and then missed out on the first try when a quick backs move right saw the final pass go behind winger Graham Maycock with the line open.Thorn defended well in the first quarter but it was no surprise when Yarnbury won a line out on the left and slick passing put full back George Oldridge in on the right from the overlap. for the first score.Danny Pound was unlucky with the conversion out on the right touchline when his kick faded left past the post.

In the second quarter Thorn got their pack working well and put pressure on the home side scrummage which held the away side out before a succession of penalties and pressure saw Thorn score through No8 and Captain James Fenwick as the pack got the pushover.The game became attritional in the middle of the park as both sides fought for control of the game .Yarnbury were feeding off scraps of possession but repeated the dose just before half time the backs feeding the ball out wide right for full back Oldridge to go in for the second try in the corner.Pound again narrowly missing the left post.

At the start of the second half Thorn were caught offside and a quick tap fromscrum half Nathan Benton saw good hands close to the right hand touchline give full back Oldridge following up with the forwards take the final pass to touch down for his third try.This was followed by another sweeping move up the right with lock Ian Maycock involved and making ground before prop Lewis Atha burst through would be tacklers to score Yarnbury’s fourth and bonus point try.Thorn were not out of this game even though Yarnbury were doing what they could not and finishing moves.Pressure from their pack on the Yarnbury line led to referee Mark Smith (Central Yorks Soc) finally loose patience as the penalty count rose and awarded a penalty try to the away side to make the score 20-14 and too close for comfort at this stage.Luckily further Yarnbury pressure eased their worries with a Danny Pound penalty .

Yarnbury sealed a good win when substitute scrum half Cameron Newby on for Benton got quick ball away from the scrum to centre’s Captain Jason Avison and James White who put full back Oldridge in for his fourth try .Pound converting to secure the win.This was a committed display from the Yarnbury side with No8 James Cryan revelling in the close action ably supported by all the pack in a hard fought contest.