RUGBY LEAGUE : Pirates Beat Blue & Golds At Leisure Centre

This match was a really old-fashioned arm-wrestle. Both sides went toe to toe with each other on a cold damp afternoon at the Beverley Leisure Centre. The game hinged crucially on two scores ten minutes before the break and ten minutes afterwards. The first try for the visitors’ game off a cross field kick and the second from a suspiciously forward pass. The game was, however, an absorbing contest which lit up the Winter gloom and blew away the festive cobwebs.

The blue and golds managed to field a fairly strong lineup with only Sam Coleman and Steve Davidson (work commitments) and Lee Falcus (knee injury) the only notable absentees. Rich Etherington was moved up to prop forward, a position which could well be his best. He took the man of the match award with a strong go forward performance, and some tough tackles on opposing forwards. Not far behind him were Lee Stevens, who was again one of the top yardage makers as was Ben Calvert in the centers.

Chances were very much at a premium. Indeed, Beverley’s only real scoring opportunity came off a Ryan Watkin grubber kick of which Nathan Hoggard could not quite ground the ball with a flurry of defenders around him. The visitors got their all important score off a kick which bounced cruelly with ten minutes to go before the break. They led 4-0 at the interval.

Beverley came out full of purpose for the second half. Lane and Watkin worked tirelessly in the half backs to try to create chances, even half chances against an iron-clad defence. However, Scarborough extended their lead ten minutes into the half direct from a scrum. The ball was shipped to the left, and the final pass to the left winger looked distinctly forward. The crowd appealed, and Beverley’s defence froze momentarily as the speedy winger races 70 meters to score.

The remainder of the game carried on in much the same vein. Both sets of forward had the measure of each other, and the hosts struggled to create chances. Ben Calvert, Steve Connolly and Louis Hubbard who is slowly getting himself back to full fitness following a spell out of the game looked to be the most dangerous in attack. They managed to run through half gaps but soon found themselves surrounded by heavy traffic. The seaside outfit managed to hold on for both league points.

Beverley ARLC are away to Bilton Sully’s this Saturday. Kick-off being 2pm at the Bilton Memorial Fields.

Final Score: Beverley ARLC 0 Scarborough Pirates 8 | Reported by Nick Robinson