Pontefract 22 Goole 12

Pontefract 22 Goole 12
After a disappointing loss last week and with some tough looking fixtures ahead, a good crowd turned up to see this must win match in the battle against relegation.
Goole are a well-coached and a well drilled outfit who have had an impressive first season in Yorkshire one after promotion last year. Pontefract won the away fixture earlier in the season on the back of a massively dominant scrum and this was a repeat performance. On the back of this solid scrum Ponte put in a huge defensive performance, a facet of the game which has been inconsistent all year.
Playing into a strong wind, Ponte showed their improved ball retention discipline of late, which not only stopped the opponents scoring but led to them scoring the only try of the first half. After good work by the forwards had taken the ball into the Goole half, a slick backs move took Ponte took deep into enemy territory. A Goole mistake led to a five-metre scrum and Pontes massive front five did the business for number eight Stephen Reynolds to score an unconverted pushover try.
The rest of the half was dominated by Goole with their fly half the pinpoint of some attractive but often error ridden, rugby. Both teams had yellow cards in the first half, Pontes coming via a high tackle from hard working back row Tad Nyanjowa. It was a great first half effort to keep Goole to nil, with veteran scrum half Glen Boyd catching the eye with a superb interception and a crunching cover tackle halting promising Goole attacks.
It seemed that the strong breeze dropped in the second half and the expected dominance of territory for Ponte never materialised as Goole played well without really looking like scoring. In one foray into the Goole half Ponte extended their lead with a Liam Kaye penalty. This was replied to by Goole with an unconverted try wide out after good approach play.
With the game finely balanced at eight to five, and the home crowd fearing the worst, Ponte orchestrated the deciding period of the game. A spell of territorial dominance led to a series of monster scrums which in turn led to two Goole yellow cards, a penalty try and a well taken try by winger Richard Dedicoat, the latter been well converted by Liam Kaye from the touchline. With the score at 22 to 5 the game was over, but, as Ponte went for an extra bonus point try, it was Goole who scored a converted consolation try which thankfully made no difference to the bonus point allocation as Ponte collected a four point win.
It was not a classic game to watch but Ponte are slowly coming to terms with the need to play a less entertaining tighter game plan as the massive pack doesn’t always lend itself to the preferred and traditional Ponte wide out handling game. Andy Coleman and Rasher Bacon were impressive in the backs whilst in the forwards the plaudits went to the hundred plus stone front five of Hough, Scholey, Smith, Fenton and Matthews, backed up by subs Griffin and Sandwith, who collectively gave number eight Reynolds the platform for his man of the match performance. A mention also to coaches Fawcett and Lund who sent the team out in a positive mood following last weeks morale sapping defeat.