After the disruption caused by the summer holidays the Beverley Braves played their first game in four weeks and were able to pick from an almost full squad for the first time in seven weeks.
It was always going to be a tough task against the unbeaten Skirlaugh Bulls, and the Braves did well to match them physically for several periods of the game.
Prop Henry Hughes led the Braves pack magnificently, never taking a backward step and also putting in a huge stint defensively, earning the man of the match award. Alongside him, he was assisted by fellow prop Oliver Loney who topped the tackle count whilst Matthew Hutchinson and Tom Sparkes took the ball up well when they came off the bench.
Skirlaugh scored first from a kick to make it 4nil, which became 10nil after further pressure from the Bulls. Beverley’s heads did not go down and after Luke Dobbie was tackled just short the position was set for William Wallis to crash over from acting half back.
With the conversion missed it was 10-4 and the Braves were back within a score of their hosts.
William Kirkup had a great break down the left wing halted by good Skirlaugh defence and despite the probing of scrum half, Lewis Egan and the testing kicks of stand-off Marcus Walker the score remained at
10-4 by half-time.
The Braves needed to score next in the second half and keep up the defence and whilst George Lees and Joseph Dennis helped out their fellow forwards with some great tackles the Bulls began to pull away scoring a further four tries, several from kicks.
Beverley did not give up however, Tom Newton typified the determination of the team with an excellent tackle after chasing a kick down field, Dylan English continues to enhance his reputation as a safe pair of hands at full back and Thomas Cohen showed his versatility with a stint on the wing.
The never-say-die attitude was summed up when Ryan Deane capped a fine display scooting over the line to finish the scoring at 30-8.
