It is beyond the abilities of an amateur scribe such as I, to fully reflect the exhilaration provided by the excellent rugby on show at Clifton Park on Saturday, while simultaneously enduring the bitter disappointment of yet another one point York defeat, this time at the hands of high flying Blackburn. Four defeats by one point plus a tie, leaves York by far the highest losing bonus point earner in the league. Scant satisfaction.

Clifton Park was buzzing on a lovely Spring afternoon with many visiting fans determined to make a good day out of this visit across the Pennines. York’s kick off was well taken by the big Blackburn forwards but the home side were immediately penalised for an offside offence. The kick failed to find touch and Cusack made a good clearance. York were finding it difficult to get out of their own half but finally relieved the pressure when they set Sam Taylor free on the first of a number of excellent runs up the left wing before he was bundled into touch. Cusack began to dictate the play, with some fine tactical kicking and nicely skilled passing, which eventually saw John Aikman cross near the posts for the first try. Unfortunately, this conversion was missed. (5-0).

By allowing the restart kick to find touch York ceded position and were then penalised at the resultant lineout. Blackburn kicked for the corner and the resulting rolling maul saw them crash over halfway between the posts and the corner. The conversion by Gaffey was good. (5-7). From the restart Blackburn tried, for the first time, to run the ball wide but this broke down allowing Sam Elliot to hack on and then race ahead of the cover to touch down. Hessay converted. (12-7.) We then entered a period where York were attacking from all angles and but for an adjudged forward pass, the lead would have been doubled. However shortly after Blackburn surged powerfully up the middle of the pitch and Sam Elliot in desperate defence was adjudged to have knocked on intentionally and thus sin-binned. Blackburn again tried their rolling maul tactic but this time York stood firm and continued to threaten particularly through Taylor on the left wing. Then York were caught napping and Blackburn broke through in the middle to race in from halfway to score an unconverted try to level the scores. (12-12). York collected their own restart and with Cusack setting Taylor away, the latter chipped ahead, and ran on to collect and touch down. Again, the conversion was missed. (17-12). York’s slick passing style had unsettled Blackburn and with Elliot back after his sin binning, they were taking the ball left and right and were almost on the Blackburn line when again they were penalised. Against the run of play the visitors broke through making a good 50 metres before play broke down. York were penalised at the ensuing scrum and Blackburn got over the line only to drop the ball and so the home side breathed again.
(Halftime 17-12).

The start of the second half saw York again attacking wide but a knock on halted their efforts. However, Blackburn failed to clear and a fine York scrummage saw Blackburn penalised, which Hessay converted. (20-12). Play then became a little scrappy with York penalised twice on the ground and then a turning point, on an attacking run down his wing, Taylor was held, just, but in twisting to find support he was injured and left the field with Sam Forbes replacing. York were now conceding too many penalties, including a 10 metre supplement, and Blackburn, no doubt becoming slightly desperate, were attacking in waves. When York lost a scrum, the visitors burst forward down the left side and crossed in the corner. A great conversion by Gaffey. (20-19).

Almost from the restart Blackburn were penalised on the 22, and York opted for the corner. Trepidation!!! Fear not, a good line out, along the line and Shane Goulding over the line. Again unconverted ( 25-19). Although not as dominant as earlier, York were still trying to play in their attacking style, and Forbes, off his left wing, almost got through to set up right winger Elliot but when this play broke down Blackburn broke out, took play right up to the York line and although held, the support arrived to cross almost under the posts. (25-26). Play was now pretty frantic between two tired sides. Cusack found a good touch inside the Blackburn 22 but from close to their line, the visitors contrived to break away again to score under the York posts. (25-33). This late score effectively removed York’s losing bonus point and thus in desperation York came back yet again and valiantly saw Goulding cross under the posts which Hessay this time converted. (32-33).

Blackburn 5 pts, York 2 pts
A great game of rugby, two good sides, but when will York remember how to win again?