Westoe v Hull report

As everyone knows, they picked themselves up from the debris of that game to beat the Humbersiders in a neck-and--neck contest for the North One crown and automatic promotion to National 2 North.
This time the stricture came beforehand when Director of Rugby Andy Howells left the squad in no doubt that they had to tighten their game and eliminate blunders that had contributed much to three defeats in the first four games at this unforgiving stratum.
And how well they responded, taking their chances in the first half when the strong wind was in their favour and - as Howells himself put it - “digging in splendidly” when it was in their faces.
This win, and with it a bonus point for four tries, was all the more creditable as the Shieldsmen have been hard hit by injuries - and there was further disruption after just ten minutes when inside centre and key man David Haswell was taken to hospital with a fractured elbow.
It was Hull, also promoted after a play-off, who this time made the mistakes and Gareth Nesbit’s men who capitalized on them.
They had gone ahead after ten minutes when fly half Charlie Rayner slotted in an off-side penalty from the 22 line and it was his long and precise passes from rucks close in that set up the victory.
The first found will o’ the wisp centre Charles Clark who darted through a gap to touch down at the end of the first quarter for his fourth try of the campaign which Rayner converted.
Then 16 minutes later in almost identical fashion it was flanker Michael Ellery who benefited from slack defending to put the Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored team 18-0 ahead.
Hull got onto the scoreboard just before the interval when fly half James Cameron kicked a penalty and with the considerable wind advantage now with them they must have felt pretty optimistic as they ran out for the second half.
But it was Peter Tennet, brought on as replacement hooker in the 47th minute, who put the visitors further ahead almost immediately when he burst through from a line-out to score and thereafter to play a pivotal role as strong scrummaging Westoe dominated set pieces and defended staunchly.
The hosts did reduce the arrears when within a couple minutes Cameron kicked his second penalty from close in and replacement number 8 Laurence Pearce fought his way over.
There was, however, to be none of the wilting that had conceded a single-point victory to Preston Grasshoppers at home a week before and in the 64th minute a try by substitute winger James Walker pretty well put another fight back victory out of reach.
Ex-Colt Hayden Richards, 23, returned to the Wood Terrace fold from the town’s College side and making his debut from the bench at flanker, won a turnover ball well inside his own half to set away Rayner and then Clark before Walker sprinted 30 metres to finish the job.
There was a defensive lapse which let in Pearce to score his second try late on, Cameron converting, but ranks then closed firmly once more.
Nesbit said afterwards: “This was an excellent win when you consider the team had to be juggled beforehand because of injuries and juggled again when David went off, but it all produced a fine fighting spirit which saw us through.”
And Howells declared: “This performance showed that when we get back to full strength we will be a formidable side.”