COMMITMENT!!!!

Northallerton 1st team travelled to Aireborough in search of a much needed win to lift themselves away from the relegation zone. However the late cry off of 3 players, after earlier confirming their availability(YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!), did little to help North’s cause and contributed to them falling to a close run 22-15 defeat.

North started off very slowly finding it hard to get any clean ball and hardly able to get out of their own half. Aireborough took the lead with an early penalty which was soon wiped out when Dougie Mulholland kicked a long range penalty from just inside Boro’s half. The home team then scored two quick tries to demoralise Northallerton and leave them trailing 17-3 with half time looming. With the referee indicating last play before half time, North produced a 10 man rolling maul enabling lock Richard Lonsdale to go over in the corner. HALF TIME 17-8

The second half started off with both sides being evenly matched in open play but North slightly controlling the scrums. Then after 10 minutes front row Paul Dennison, after wearing out his opposite number, was forced off due to a slight injury. This allowed the introduction of North’s own scrummage machine Nicholas Bainbridge, himself returning from injury. From North slightly edging the scrums they were now totally dominating proceedings and looking continually dangerous. This change paid dividends when Lonsdale went over for his second try of the game, and with 15 minutes still left, North were confident they could go on to win. The home team though, to their credit defended magnificently and aided by a couple of ill advised decisions by North, managed to hang on and even score a breakaway try in the last minute. The whole squad of 17 Northallerton players who travelled to Aireborough should be proud of their effort and commitment – which is obviously lacking from some who are unwilling to travel away from home!