Beverley ARLC concerned at the serious lack of match practice managed to hastily arrange this ‘friendly’ fixture at the Beverley Leisure Centre against Premier League opposition. They produced arguably their best performance of the season and consider themselves very unlucky not to have pulled off a win. Indeed the game hinged on two crucial incidents.
Midway through the second half Steve Davidson got over the line with 3 defenders around and was denied grounding the ball by only a matter of inches. Also a try was awarded to the visitors when it appeared that their wingman had ran into touch but it was awarded by the unsighted referee.
The home side got off to the worst possible starts when they conceded a try inside the first two minutes. They however composed themselves and their forwards well marshalled by hooker Mark Killey began to make inroads. Adam Norton, Nathan Wilkinson and Dan Clark led the charge with Clark having his best game since signing for the club.
Their best scoring chance came in the 15th minute when Lee Atkinson intercepted to race 60 metres only to be denied by a last ditch cover tackle. The points finally game courtesy of a try from the strong running Ian Pollard. Nathan Wilkinson added a further try again converted by Ryan Watkin. Five minutes before the break a towering bomb towards the corner saw Lee Falcus pounce to score a try too wide out to be improved. The hosts looked cruising but a defensive lapse let the visitors in for a try that reduced the arrears to 16-10 right on the stroke of half time.
The hosts were quick out of the blocks for the second half and after a Lambwath player was dragged into touch close to his own line they began to press. This resulted in Dan Clark going over for his first try for the club which Watkin converted to stretch the hosts advantage to 22-10. The next four tries went the way of the visitors one of which was the hotly disputed one in the corner. Now trailing 30-20 the hosts pulled back a try from the ever hard working Adam Norton but there was not enough time for another score.
In a close vote Mark Killey took the committee man of the match award. He appears to have found possibly his best position at hooker.
This latest performance seemed to finally show light at the end of the tunnel for Beverley ARLC, who hope to be in a position to make an announcement at the club’s next meeting in early May on the coaching appointment.
Turning to matters away from the field. On Sunday 6th May Beverley ARLC will team up with Hodgsons FC for a major fundraising effort. The activities will commence at 12.30pm with the two sides playing a game of both rugby and football against each other at the Leisure Centre before retiring to the Hodgsons for race nights, auctions and various other events.
Everyone is urged to support this important fundraising effort for two of the town’s major sporting organisations.
Final Score: Beverley ARLC 28 Lambwath Lions 30 | Reported by Nick Robinson
[nggallery id=2149]
