Old Crossleyans 12 Pontefract 30

Old Crossleyans 12 Pontefract 30

Pontefract travelled to old foes Crossleyans and registered a gritty, five-point victory against an enthusiastic team well versed to playing on their narrow pitch.

It was a very even, scoreless, first twenty minutes, with a sniping break from Lucas Ketteridge and a superb high ball take and offload from centre Richard Dedicoat catching the eye.

Despite resolute defence it was Crocs who opened the scoring with a catch and drive from a line out following a Bailly Matthews yellow card. Ponte soon replied with a penalty from Liam Kay for obstruction.

At five to three down, Ponte applied pressure and prop Steve Anderson was held up over the line before Kay added another penalty as Crocs struggled to hold powerful drives from the likes of Callum Rogers, Ethan Potts and Josh Hough. Half time and a one-point lead.

The second half continued in the same vein, and it took a needless knock on from the Crocs scrum half to give the Ponte scrum an opportunity to attack from close in. The powerful scrum rarely disappoints, and prolific number eight Sam Millard benefitted with the Crocs pack in reverse. Ponte were by now taking control and another big drive by Millard from a scrum ended in outstanding second row Brodie Matthews scoring under the posts.

It was credit to Crocs that they soon replied, as a soft penalty allowed a driving try from a line out. Any chance of a comeback was soon snuffed out as another needless knock on allowed good hands to put debutant Chris O Gara in at the corner.

As a contest it was game over but Ponte’s efforts to score a bonus point try were hampered by a worrying looking injury to Bailly Matthews and an uncharacteristic straight red for foul play for hooker Tim Pickersgill. There was no need to worry, as powerful substitute

Andy Fenton provided new impetus and an interception from his own half from hard working scrum half Josh Walker gave Ponte prime field position. They didn’t waste it, as a superb half break and offload from Dedicoat to Millard sealed the maximum points.

The game was not much of a spectacle, with gaps in the defence hard to find. Credit to Ponte though as winning ugly is a good sign that the team can adapt to different challenges. Man of the match was Steve Reynolds for his eighty minutes of graft with the more eye catching Brodie Matthews, Millard and the half-injured Liam Kay not far behind.

Next Saturday it is Pocklington at home with the visitors signing Castleford first teamer Bureta Faraimo on a short term deal to add to their overseas contingent