Poor Show From Beavers as Birkenhead Win

Not at all a good day for Beverley RUFC. They were well beaten here and deservedly so by a side which showed far more determination and vigour. Yet early in the second half the game was there for the winning.

From 20-0 down Beverley RUFC had clawed their way back to 20-10 and were in total command. Sadly the carelessness which bedevilled them all afternoon caused them inexplicably to lose possession as they attacked the visiting line and Birkenhead broke away for a converted try. At 27-10 that was that.

Birkenhead with their first attack of the match went seven points up after Beverley RUFC, having done all the early attacking, gave away a penalty, were marched back ten metres for backchat, and promptly let in prop Martin O’Keefe for a try under the posts. No surprise there. Nor in truth was it a surprise when shortly afterwards they were penalised in front of their posts for not releasing the tackler leaving David Hall with a simple penalty kick to take it to 10-0.

Beverley RUFC found it hard to come to terms with the powerful visiting pack which made frequent progress with determined rolling mauls and forward drives. But to their credit the Beverley RUFC pack stuck at it and were never outdone all afternoon. In fact apart from some occasional wayward throwing at the lineouts the Beverley RUFC forward play was exemplary throughout.

They certainly provided a lot more good ball to their backline than their Birkenhead counterparts did. Sadly much of it was wasted through dreadful handling, poor decision making, and poor kicking. Goran Jelenic on the wing and Sam Atiola at full back both looked dangerous when they had the ball but that was about as far at it went. Unnecessary over-elaboration in midfield once again looked to be a major factor in their undoing.

Nonetheless Beverley RUFC had their chances. Jelencic would have scored had Gavin Gibson released the ball to him five metres out and David Worrall was unluckily brought back when he took a quick penalty and was heading for the line. In the event it was Birkenhead who continued to march on with a converted try by centre Greg Hughes and a second penalty for Hall. Twenty points down it looked ominous for Beverley RUFC but they were offered a lifeline minutes before halftime when Jelencic got over in the corner following another quick thinking Worrall tap penalty.

Five minutes into the second half and they were right back in it at 10-20. Junior Tupai with a forty metre run to the line rounded off a lovely break on halfway by Atiola. Suddenly it was all Beverley RUFC and Birkenhead were completely knocked off their stride. With Worrall inevitably to the fore Beverley RUFC fought heroically to get on terms and play for some time was never out of the visitors’ half. Until, that is, they carelessly lost possession in an attacking position on the Birkenhead 22. Hall gathered the loose ball, burst away down the wing, and sent Freeman Payne in for a simple converted Birkenhead score. It was a gift try if ever there was one and realistically it was all over for Beverley RUFC.

They never again looked like getting get back into it and Birkenhead gradually regained their earlier momentum. Hall again broke away down the left, chipped ahead, and gathered a lucky bounce to cross for a final try. With four successful conversions, two penalties, and a try, Hall, as so often in the past, proved to be a major thorn in Beverley RUFC’s side.

Having probably had most of the overall possession Beverley RUFC could perhaps feel slightly hard done by with a 24 point defeat. But for all the talent in the Beverley RUFC backline it is at present badly misfiring as a unit and it is hard to see tries coming or results improving however well the pack might play. Jelencic’s try was only the fourth scored by a Beverley RUFC winger in eighteen games this season which maybe says it all.

Reported by John Nursey