Two evenly matched teams fought out an intense and gritty game on a pristine pitch at Clifton Park. York applied pressure from the start, after 2 minutes full back George Davis counter attacked into the Ponte 22, good ball was fed out to Josh Britland who drilled an excellent kick to the corner. York then pounded the opponent’s line for 5 minutes until excellent visiting 10 Glen Boyd cleared their lines.
The York pack with Ritchie Roberts and captain Chris Fox to the fore, again rumbled towards the try line but good defence and lapses under pressure meant the match was still scoreless after 15 minutes. Pontefract had a rare foray into the York half and showed their danger when only a poor final pass stopped their winger scoring. They were not to be denied, however, when they scooped up the ball from a York midfield blunder, fed their backs both ways ending in winger Shand going over in the corner.
Following more Ponte pressure, first Davis and then Hugh Nicholson counter attacked earning York an unconverted penalty. Keeping the visitors pinned in their 5m area, the home pack was rewarded when loose head Dan Coe joyfully barrelled over for his maiden try, Jon Dawes converting. He then added a penalty 5 mins later to extend the lead.
Another Nicholson attack earned York a scrum 5m out only for the pack to concede one of many penalties on the day and lose the initiative. More indiscipline earned the visitors a penalty which they missed on the stroke of half time.
Pontefract put pressure on the York scrum early in the second half and Boyd jinked across his back line to feed 15 Bacon onto a crash ball under the posts for a fine try, the conversion putting the visitors in front 12:10. Straight from the kick off flanker Sam Thorpe was yellow carded for an over exuberant challenge leaving York under pressure as the visitors enjoyed their best spell of the game. Luckily for York, their lineout throwing was not accurate and so impeded their momentum at crucial times.
The York scrum was now coming under pressure despite the usually dependable Hartley coming on for Rutherford; from a midfield push, Boyd struck a good cross field kick for his centres with again the final pass being knocked on to save York. An improved scrum defending our 5m resulted in new flanker Shane Goulding breaking 40 yards up field, off loading to Toby Atkins who was brought down by a high tackle earning Bacon a yellow. York piled the pressure on to not much avail apart from Nicholson scything through to set up a good attack only for the final pass to go to ground.
York hooker Fletcher received what seemed an unlucky yellow card but no further score was made in his absence as 10 mins of stalemate ensued although Dawes missed a difficult penalty chance. Fed scrappy ball from a disrupted scrum, Josh Britland jinked and crashed his way through the Ponte midfield to earn York a converted Dawes penalty to finally regain the lead, 13:12.
From a Thorpe steal at the lineout, Chris Fox galloped 30 yards up field like a rutting giraffe, off loaded to the supporting Goulding who was felled 5 yards out. Excellent quick hands through the backs fed Billy to run in at the corner and through under the posts for a converted try.
A late lapse on the strike of full time earned Pontefract a penalty and a deserved losing bonus point, final score 20:15.
A much improved performance on last week against an underrated and improving side but still plenty of work to be done on the training pitch. Good to see Curtis Fletcher have a sound debut at hooker and an impressive show off the bench from Shane Goulding. Man of the match, however, goes to young winger Hugh Nicholson, who should take great personal confidence from a good performance.

Coach’s comment: Pleased with the win against a hard physical side but a long way to go yet.

Referee: Mr Tony Jenkins, Durham Society.