Pontefract 39 Pocklington 29

Pontefract 39 Pocklington 29

Pontefract sent their supporters home happy with a tremendous comeback, in what many observers saw as one of the best games of rugby at Moor Lane for many a year.

Pocklington have been in a higher league than Pontefract for nearly a decade and it looked ominous for the home side early on as a missed tackle out wide allowed the visitors winger to sprint home from halfway. At five nil down the usually metronomic Liam Kay had the chance of an early reply but missed a reasonably straight forward penalty shot. Normality soon resumed however, as he cut the deficit from a scrum penalty.

Pock were soon gifted their second try, as a quick throw from a line out caught Ponte napping and an easy seven pointer. Following that, Ponte centre Harry McAllister gathered a yellow card for a high tackle as Ponte’s woes continued. From the penalty, Pock made their way up field and good hands put their winger in at the corner for a converted try.

At nineteen to three down, the Pocklington faithful were lighting their cigars and rehearsing being humble winners. They don’t know this Ponte team however, as a fierce defence and a completely dominant scrum brought them back in it.
Ponte needed to score next, and it was a piece of brilliant individualism that pulled back a converted try, as Kay chipped over and regathered before a turn of pace put him to the side of the posts.

Ponte’s penalty count was much improved to previous weeks, a sign that the team is learning quickly at the higher level. However, an offside allowed Pock to extend their lead to twenty-one to ten with a penalty for offside.

From the restart, and with half time approaching, Ponte scored a morale boosting try. This season has been short of a Josh Hough short range try, but this was remedied as a few picks and drives from fellow forwards allowed him to squeeze his ample frame through a small gap and reach out for the try. No conversion, but at half time it was a seven-point deficit, and it was game on.

In the second half, Ponte got their tactics spot on. Whilst not wanting to play a tight, forward orientated game, the complete dominance of the scrum and the danger posed out wide by the visitors, it became a necessity. With number eight Sam Millard sensibly keeping the scrum ball at his feet as long as the referee would allow, it allowed the big forwards time to drain the energy and effort out of their opponents.
The pressure started to tell and with a good supply of front foot ball, some great forward drives, allowed slick hands from centre Andy Coleman to put his wingman Ciaran Tucker over for a try, superbly converted by Kay.

Pock started to lose their discipline and were lucky only to receive a yellow card as their flanker took exception to a thunderous McAllister tackle. From this penalty, more forward pressure allowed Kay to put the hosts into the lead with another penalty.

By now it was one way traffic and Ponte were going through the phases and with big drives from forwards Steve Anderson, Steve Reynolds and impressive young prop Joe Foster, full back Richard Dedicoat ghosted under the posts for a converted try his all-action performance merited.

Pock are one of the favourites for this league for a reason, and a missed touch from Ponte allowed them a very well worked catch and drive, converted try from a line out to pull the scores back to four points behind. The Ponte faithful were suddenly nervous of a seen before last minute defeat.

Any worries were soon dispelled as a long raking touch finder into the corner from well inside his own half by Kay gave Ponte territory they were never going to surrender. A knock on from the line out gave Ponte a five-metre scrum and all the bets were odds on for returning talisman Jack Beddis to score from the base of the scrum. This was only denied as the referee gave a penalty try and another yellow card for Pock, to complete the scoring.

There was still time for another yellow as second row Brodie Matthews was taken out in the air to receive a nasty looking fall. Thankfully he was okay, and the final whistle sounded.

Best for Pontefract is very hard to say with such a good all-round team effort. Josh Walker and Kay were outstanding in the backs, whilst Ethan Potts and the always impressive Matthews were to the fore upfront. Man of the match was given to tight head prop Hough for his outstanding scrummaging and work rate.