Northallerton 22 - 10 Yarnbury - Yorks 2 League

Northallerton 22 - 10 Yarnbury - Yorks 2 League

Yarnbury welcomed Jack Brown back after illness to take the full back role and James Endesby replaced captain James White who was injured.Nathan Benton moved to scrum half taking up his usual position and Captain of the side.In the nforwards Yarnbury lost influential prop Lewis Atha injured Tom Whitfield again helping out in the front row .Player Coach Tom Gilcrist was again away on Rugby business . Versatile James Daffern taking the hooking spot and second row Sam Hodgson added some much needed bulk to the pack.Having lost recent games Yarnbury were desperate to get something out of this trick fixture.The game was never in doubt in North Yorkshire the pitch extremely dry despite recent weather conditions.Storm Dennis had still not arrived for the duration of the game just the wind for the whole game blowing across the pitch turned the encounter in to a slug fest down the middle of the pitch.Certainly the conditions did not suit the Horsforth side as they could not really spread the play through their speedy backs.

Northallerton ably led in the forwards by their experienced No8 Iain Swain a thorn in Yarnbury's side last season with his powerful pick and goes was immediately evident in the home side's play as they kept the ball tight up the slope and let the wind do the rest with kicks from stand off Doug Mullholland.With their powerful pack the conditions suited the home side and Yarnbury were not able to take advantage of the conditions down the pitch .Indeed Northallerton scored first on 17 minutes.Yarnbury penalised at the breakdown and from the close in line out prerssure finally paid out wide as wing forward Don Dolby scored from a catch and drive. Mulholland 's conversion came back in to the wind.

Yarnbury's reorganised pack were making it hard for the bigger home forwards in the loose but the scrums were a different matter but scrambling defence prevented any real danger for the first quarter Indeed Yarnbury got themselves down the pitch and recycled good ball on the right for Josh Bateson to squeeze in on the blind side for an equalising unconverted try. The conversion from Jarrod Huss sailing away on the wind. Yarnbury finally went behind at the end of the half when wing forward substitute Kris Morrison touched down as the Northallerton pack managed to get a drive on the right following a penalty for over the top at a ruck and from the subsequent line out and drive went in front. No conversion again in the gale.

The second half started well for Yarnbury as they pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded by a quick move down the blind side with substitute Ian Maycock making his present felt at the back of the scrum making yards up the field then centres James Endersby and Connor Moreton released tricky winger Josh Bell who fooled the opposition to score ,Huss just missing this time as his kick shaved the post.

The last quarter belonged to the home side as their bigger pack told as the game went on in difficult conditions. Northallerton going in to the lead on 60 minutes.The referee from Redcar awarding a penalty try for repeated collapsing of the scrum and infringements under pressure at the scrums.Yarnbury tried in vain to get back in to close order but did not have enough ball to make an impression and the game closed with a fourth Northallerton try from repeated catch and drives.Wing forward Robert Greene claiming the touchdown.The effort from all the Yarnbury pack could not be faulted in the conditions but physicality secured the win in the end.