Skipton RU
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Skipton lose top of table clash
Skipton 7 Old Brodleians 19
Skipton lost for the second game in a row, a table of the table clash against Old Brodleians, in front of the largest crowd of the season.
In the first half Brods were certainly the better team and built up a half-time lead of 19-0.
In the second half Skipton fought back and looked capable of clinching a win but resolute defence work by the visitors restricted the Reds to seven points and Brods deservedly took the honours.
Brods now look invincible as league leaders whilst Skipton remain in second place. However, the chasing pack are beginning to gain ground on the Reds who need to return to winning ways if they are to maintain their promotion challenge.
The game started well for Skipton with the Reds forwards dominant as ever. Indeed, in the first ten minutes a pushover try by the Reds seemed likely and that might well have altered the whole outcome of the game. In reality neither team scored in the first twenty five minutes and the game was pulsating from end to end without either team looking favourites to win.
Then Brods started to dominate for the rest of the first half and soon their winger Adam Standeven, who was a threat to the Reds all afternoon, zipped past a lapse in defence and scored a try which he duly converted.
This seemed to sap the energy of the Reds and soon Brods had scored a pushover try and then Standeven again saw an opening to score a further try which again he converted. Suddenley, from looking like evenly matched teams, the visitors had scored 19 points in fifteen minutes.
After the re-start the Reds forward domination returned and for the rest of the game Skipton had 70 per cent of the play without Brods looking like scoring again.
The front row of Phil Crossman, Chris Sheehan and John Firth battered away at Brods defence and in the line ball after ball was being won with the jumping of Matthew Boatwright outstanding. The half backs of Adam Oldfield and Brydon Maiava were constantly on the ball and feeding out but despite endless breaks by the backs they couldn't get through the Brods defence.
Sensibly, Skipton changed tactics by keeping the ball tight in the pack and this soon paid off when Oldfield crashed over for a try, which, despite a bad angle, Alex Naylor safely converted to make it 19-7. With rain setting in and a slippery ball this was the tactic that was needed.
Brods were now looking worried and in the last 15 minutes Skipton constantly battered their line and several times surges came within inches of further tries. However, whilst the Reds had upped their game, Brods defence had upped their resistance. The clock dictated that the Reds come back was too late for victory and Brods deservedly took the points back to Halifax and Skipton will rue their mid-game lapses which allowed the visitors to score so readily just before half-time.
9:50am Monday 26th November 2007
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