Selection saw the return to the team of Liam Wallace, but at outside centre rather than full-back, after absence for reasons of study. Also back in the squad, but on the bench, Joe Cribley, after just one week off following the injury he sustained against North Ribblesdale. An injury to captain Andy Kelly saw Adrian Montague (Monty) come in at No. 8 after several weeks out injured. The bench also saw the return of prop Nick Tomsett, who we have been without for some weeks due to work commitments. Vice captain Matt Poste took over the captaincy duties from AK.

Knottingley kicked off and Sheffield went off like a rocket, well at least for one minute, and pushed their up to Knottingley’s 22. The ball was however, turned over in contact and Knottingley’s fly-half, Dave Evans, launched it back into Sheffield’s 22, where poor Ali Womack fluffed his lines, resulting in a poor kick back up field, Sheffield were caught off-side and Sheffield conceded the penalty. The result was a 3 to nil lead to Knottingley care of Dave Evans trusty boot.

The early rush by Sheffield disappeared and Knottingley continued to press, but without much, if any success. Sheffield slowly regrouped and fought their way into the game, but a myriad of mistakes made sure that no real headway was made and Sheffield were lucky to keep Knottingley’s lead to 3 when Evans missed a very kickable penalty. Then in the 15th minute, Sheffield found themselves just in the Knottingley half, but pressing hard and Knottingley must have thought that giving a penalty away just outside your 10 metre line was safe. Wrong, Donal Collins converted to level the scores.

As is oft the case, when you score you need to concentrate and Sheffield did not, and much as last week at Malton, with just over a minute gone since the penalty the defence went walkabout and Knottingley’s inside centre, Chris Turton, powered through the mid field to send outside centre, Brad Rawlandson in for a try, to be converted by Dave Evans, giving our visitors a 10 point to 3 lead.

A somewhat lacklustre looking Sheffield did however, up the work rate and began to find holes in the Knottingley defence and a number of penalties began to creep into their game. So with 24 minutes gone, the referee decided that one more penalty was one too many and the Knottingley No. 8, David Hopton (I think) was on his way to the sin bin. Collins added the penalty to the Sheffield Tally and the lead was down to 10 points to 6. Five minutes later, Collins was offered a further opportunity to add to the score with a further penalty, which he duly took and Knottingley’s lead was a very slender one point.

The remainder of the half was played out with neither side setting the world alight with their skill or endeavour and the half closed at Sheffield 9, Knottingley 10, but with Knottingley down to 14 men after the dismissal of their winger, J Milton on 39 minutes, when the referee could have dismissed any one of three or four Knottingley players for one kind of interference or another. On this instance, deliberately knocking the ball forward.

The half time team talk in the Sheffield camp, from Martin Poste and Nick Crapper, must have been electrifying, fir within two minutes of the restart Sheffield had powered over after a more than forceful start from the pack, with Big John Dudley making what I believe to be his first appearance on the score sheet, a try out on the left. Collins added to the score with an imperious kick and the lead had been taken by the home side, 16 points to 10.

Just four minutes later and from deep in their own half, Sheffield’s backs decided they would come to the party and the ball passed through more hands than we could count before it went through a sharp multiple interchange involving Ryan Amos twice before on the third occasion he was able to go over to record Sheffield’s 2nd try. Again Collins boot was on song and the score was Sheffield 23, Knottingley 10 with just 6 minutes of the half played.

Sheffield continued to press, but Knottingley refused to concede and despite several penalties which Sheffield declined to take, and the score remained unchanged until the 64th minutes. Knottingley may at this point have felt the pressure and pace of the match, and may have tired, and from a maul 15 metres out the ball moved left and Collins showed several dummies before finding the line at his mercy, what more could he do, but score. He added the conversion and the Sheffield lead moved out to 30 points to 10.

The pressure was now all Sheffield and 8 minutes later another blistering attack was launched from the halfway line resulting in full back, Ewan Reed adding to his tally of tries for the season, once again out on the left. Collins again adding the conversion, to take the score out to 37 points to 10. The pressure was unrelenting now and Sheffield may well have scored several times in the closing minutes, but it took Sheffield until the 79th minute to complete the scoring, when replacement Mark Walker (Doctor Mark), on as a replacement and playing on the flank was able to pick up from the scrum on the Knottingley 5-metre line and crash over in the left the corner (is there a theme here?) and with Collins adding the extras, the match was concluded with a Sheffield win of 44 points to 10.

Substitutes were Nick Tomsett for Ramzey Adamo at tight head prop, Mark Walker for Laurence Thomas (back-row) and Joe Cribley into the centre when Adrian Montague went off at No.8. Ryan Amos moving from centre to the flank and Mark Walker from 7 to 8. Ryan, welcome to the pack!

The weeks results were:-

Bradford Salem (3) 15 - 32 (4) Dinnington
Bridlington (0) 3 - 0 (0) Ilkley
Castleford (1) 16 - 25 (3) Heath
Scarborough (3) 20 - 15 (0) North Ribblesdale
Selby (2) 12 - 35 (5) Malton & Norton
Sheffield (5) 44 - 10 (1) Knottingley
York (3) 19 - 27 (4) Keighley

Match details

Match date

Sat 23 Oct 2010

Kickoff

15:00

Meet time

13:00

Team overview

Sheffield 44 - 10 Knottingley

Sheffield maintain the chase after excellent 2nd half against Knottingley.

Match details

Match date

Kickoff

Meet time

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