Skipton RU
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Skipton win vital promotion game
Yarnbury 7 Skipton 18
The Reds were in top form on Saturday and controlled this game throughout.
Yarnbury are a friendly club with an excellent ground and with the arrival of the first decent weather a good game was always in prospect. However, any pre-match tension soon disappeared and Skipton made sure of gaining the valuable points by being on top throughout against the host side who are in third place in the table behind Skipton.
After faltering a little in December, the Reds have been getting back into the mould which was so successful in the autumn of playing as a united cohesive team with strong solid forwards, intelligent play by the half backs and fast open running by the backs.
All 18 squad members who played on Saturday deserve a mention but there were also some outstanding individual performances.
Young prop Ryan Binner, playing his first full game for the first team, was a Trojan throughout and will be a vital component in the future for the Reds.
In the backs, speedy winger Liam Ray proved he was fully fit after recent injury and centre Brydon Maiava gets better and better both as kicker and as a strong running centre.
The return of Sean Kennedy at No 10 teaming up with Adam Oldfield at scrum half brings added class and experience to this half back pair and they were pivitol to Saturday's success.
Skipton opened the scoring early on with a good try from winger Liam Ray and although the angle prevented Brydon Maiava getting the conversion, Maiava did later successfully slot over two penalty kicks to give the Reds a half-time lead of 11-0.
In the first half, Yarnbury were always a threat but Skipton's defence ensured that any threat was snuffed out.
The Red forwards were particularly solid and the line jumpers, Malcolm Willsher and Matthew Boatwright, were getting more than their share of ball.
Soon after the re-start, Skipton made sure of victory when Sean Kennedy burst through from the half back position and weaved through the defence for a try which Maiava converted. With the score now 18-0 the Reds could play a comfortable second half.
Ten minutes from the end, Yarnbury did breach the defence and scored a converted try but the Reds never looked like losing.
Indeed, in the dying minutes Skipton nearly added to their tally when Adam Oldfield, who had been off the field having treatment to his knee, burst clear for a long run only to have to pull up just short of the line - if Skipton's backs had been more alert and chased with him they could have finished off the move for their limping colleague.
As for the league, Old Brods clearly look like champions being still unbeaten and they, along with Skipton in second place, have occupied the two promotion places since the first game of the season.
With chasers Yarnbury and Pocklington both losing on Saturday, prospects of Skipton playing in Division One next season for the first time ever are looking good and the Reds deserve all the support they can get in these final few weeks of the season.
10:14am Monday 11th February 2008
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