Skipton defeat Wensleydale to boost Yorkshire Four promotion push

by Simon Smith

SKIPTON continued their late push for promotion from Yorkshire Four with victory at sunny Cawkill Park on Saturday.

The visitors opened strongly and from a clearance return within minutes of the kick-off the ball was shipped quickly down the back line from full back Matty Langstaff to winger Jack McLeod who put opposite winger Josh Smith clear for an early unconverted try.

This was to be no easy encounter for Skipton, however, with every point and every yard being hard won from a dogged Wensleydale.

Strong forward work from Wensleydale was countered by a superb tackle from prop Chris Wright.

Dangerous play by Wensleydale left McLeod on the floor and gave Skipton a penalty which they kicked deep into the home 22.

From the resulting line-out the ball was spun down the back line and only a forward pass denied Skipton a try.

Wensleydale again launched an attack but firm Skipton defence kept them at bay until a high tackle gave the home side the chance to open their account with a penalty.

A Wensleydale penalty pinned Skipton back onto their own line but the throw-in at the line-out was not straight and Langstaff cleared the danger.

Strong forward work by Harry MacEneaney put the backs away and Langstaff was brought down just yards short of the line, sustaining a knee injury.

Play continued while Langstaff was attended to and Skipton received a penalty for offside which Jamie Donnelly converted to stretch the lead.

Despite attention, Langstaff had to leave the field and was replaced by Redver Stork-Flatley who immediately made his mark with a try under the posts which Donnelly converted to stretch the visitors lead to 15-3.

A period of expansive play by Skipton followed with great inter-passing between forwards and backs but a last pass knock-on denied further points and brought the first half to a close.

A penalty early in the second half for Skipton going over the top put the home side close to the visitors’ line but strong defence and a clearance by Donnelly prevented a score.

A good break from the base of the scrum by MacEneaney put the back line away. Stork-Flatley and Smith fed No8 Ben Hall who was stopped just short of the line.

Wensleydale cleared but Skipton countered from the line-out and a charge down by Hall allowed scrum-half Jonathan Kulik to scorer Skipton's third try.

Skipton now had a comfortable lead and quick hands from the scrum put the ball down the back line with a chip over putting the visitors into Wensleydale's 22.

A rolling maul from the line-out sent the ball out to Stork-Flatley on the wing but he was held up five yards out. From the next move a forward pass denied Smith a valuable fourth try which would have earned a bonus point.

Wensleydale took the game to Skipton right up until the final whistle, running a penalty within their 22, but Skipton's defence held.