LAST MINUTE DESPAIR - AGAIN

Northallerton 1st team entertained top of the table Roundhegians in the penultimate game of the season and nearly caused a shock upset, but were narrowly beaten in the last seconds by 26-31.

North played some of their best rugby of the season in first half and totally shocked the visitors, especially with their strength up front. This was despite having to draft in three usual third teamers due to lack of availability and the start of the gay boy cricket season. One of the drafted being Mathew Bell who had one of his finest games for many a year in a Northallerton shirt and will now hopefully be available more often next season. Although Bell was playing suprisingly well it was the forwards who were totally dominant, even when Bainbridge was sin binned (for his belly being consistently offside) mid way through the first half and North were down to 14 men. It was the visitors who took the lead with an excellently taken penalty from close distance. This galvanised the home team who soon equalised with a penalty from Dan Luck, which was then followed by a forward orientated maul and try for tiny Dick Lonsdale. Again Lucks boot was trustworthy for the conversion. North were then unlucky to suffer another injury to influential fly half Joe Terry which slighty disrupted North's distributional play but allowed the return of Russ 'weeman' Smith. Then five minutes before half time Luck slotted home another penalty to send North into half time 13-3 up.

Straight from the kick off to the second half, Lonsdale collected the ball and broke through three tacklers before off loading the ball to supporting centre Ed Bulman who then passed it out wide again, before the ball was knocked on by James Read with the try line beckoning. It was from here that the visitors broke away and raced up field to score and convert. Shortly afterwards North's ill discipline seemed to return as they gave away a succession of penalties, two of which were converted to give the visitors the lead 13-16. Robinson and Stone then led North's forwards on a 22 yard rolling maul which Roundhegians had no answer to before finally going over the line, hooker Mike Rhodes came up with the ball to take the credit. Shortly after that North produced another try through the forwards, when repeated pick up and go's at the base of three or four rucks sent Lonsdale over for his second try. Unluckily neither conversion went over leaving North just seven points clear with fifteen minutes remaining. Then there was a huge turning point when number 8 Robinson was sin binned for not rolling away after the tackle, even though it appeared he was being held down by his opposite number. From the ensuing forced 10 minute absence the visitors scored a converted try and a penalty to take the lead by 3 points. When Robinson was allowed back on the pitch, which seemed longer than 10 minutes, North upped their game slightly and were rewarded with another penalty from Luck to level the score. With scores level a draw seemed the fair and inevitable score, but on the last play of the game Roundhegians shipped the ball out wide to find they had a three on one overlap and despite Bells best efforts scored in the corner. As soon as the attempted conversion drifted wide the referee blew for full time.
Roundhegians coach and staff admitted this was their hardest game of the season and wondered why North are not further up the table - as do a lot of us.
Next week North play their final game of the season at home to Bramley Phoenix and are aiming to finish the season on a high in front of, hopefully, a capacity crowd.

AND FREE BEER FROM S ROBINSON Esq.