Hessle RUFC Match Reports

1st XV Match Reports 2009/10

October 2009

03/10/2009 Hessle 20 - Barnsley 34

HESSLE paid a heavy price for indiscipline, losing their Yorkshire League Division Two match 34-20 against Barnsley.

They conceded five penalty goals which proved the difference, as this was a game the visitors could have won.

Patrick Jensen kicked the first penalty goal after three minutes, which was cancelled out with one for Hessle from Craig Poucher, back in the side after a two-match absence.

After 11 minutes Barnsley went over for a try which Jensen converted.

After an even passage of play, on the half-hour mark Jensen increased the lead with another penalty.

A charged down kick near the home 22 saw some superb handling by the backs create the overlap for winger Dave Roberts, who stormed over for a well-taken try.

Poucher goaled to make it 13-10.

Jensen landed his third penalty just before the interval.

The hosts scored a try in the 55th minute, then Lee Capell finished off another excellent move with a try for Hessle to make it 21-15.

Barnsley returned to the visitors' half and further indiscipline led to Jensen kicking another two penalties.

Barnsley continued to press and a try following some close forward play, which was converted by Jensen to put the hosts well in command at 34-15.

Hessle never gave up, however, and in the last minute Ollie Spicer ran strongly for the visitors' third try.

10/10/2009 Hessle 31 Doncaster Phoenix 15

HESSLE bagged five tries to defeat Doncaster Phoenix 31-15.

Matt Donkin scored the first, Craig Poucher converting, before Ashley Hedges went over, Poucher again bettering the effort.

Phoenix replied through Adam Burton before Hessle scored again through Jimmy Harrison.

Ben Millar kicked a penalty for Doncaster in the 45th minute, but Hessle replied quickly through Ollie Spicer. Poucher converted to make it 26-8.

A Millar score brought it close again before John Okul made sure with the final try.

17/10/2009 Goole 10 - Hessle 10

HESSLE battled all the way but were still held in this bottom-of-the-table, Yorkshire Division Two clash.

Hessle had more try-scoring opportunities, although it was Goole who scored two tries to one in a game which was a stop-start affair due to 28 penalties being awarded by the referee.

Hessle should have scored following a kick to the corner from Carl Dixon but Jimmy Harrison, following up, lost the ball with the line at his mercy and the chance was lost.

Matt Donkin broke away from his own 22 and linked with Harrison who, after a 30-yard run, was bundled into touch by a superb covering tackle.

Hessle were on the wrong side of an eight to one penalty count after only 27 minutes, but Stoakes was short with the first kick at goal of the match.

The forward battle was fierce and both sets of backs attempted to play an expansive game, but on numerous occasions players lost possession due to the sheer power of the tackling.

Ollie Spicer and Craig Poucher made storming runs out of defence and in the 32nd minute Dixon opened the scoring with a penalty from in front of the posts.

Six minutes into the second-half Goole tried to run the ball out of their own 22 but Adam Atkinson brought off a crucial tackle and secured the ball, before driving forward and releasing to Mike Ayers who knocked off three men to charge over for a try. Dixon converted to make it 0-10.

Goole returned to the attack and from a further penalty the ball was moved out wide where Stoddard looped around to take the final pass and dart over to touch down.

Urged on by a vociferous home crowd, Goole put Hessle under further pressure but the visitors' defence was up to the task.

However, in the 76th minute Goole scored again in the left-hand corner when a forward surge ended with Craig Fenton crashing over for the hosts' second try.

The conversion attempt from Stoakes was a good effort but it fell just short, and there was no further scoring in a tense finale.

24/10/2009 West Park Leeds 44 - Hessle 12

HESSLE lost 44-12 at West Park Leeds.

The hosts played the home advantage to a tee and put Hessle under immense pressure during the first half.

The West Park full-back kicked superbly and good field position was gained after every kick.

After 20 minutes Hessle found themselves 20 points in arrears but not to be outdone Hessle stuck to the task and in their only foray into their opponents half Jiimy Harrison took a well worked try and some slick handling to go over in the corner.

The conversion was missed which made the half-time score 34-5

In the second half Hessle adopted the same tactics as West Park and played with the elements and put real pressure on their opponents' half.

However, some great defence by the home team kept them at bay and, with time ticking down, they added two further scores to make it 44-5.

With only minutes remaining Hessle got a consolation try from Adam Atkinson – a trademark five-metre charge taking three defenders over with him.

With the conversion it made the final score 44-12.

31/10/2009 Hessle 16 - Hullensians 19

As they awaited arrival of the visitors, who were looking for a win to go to the top of the league, Hessle had a last minute call up for 4 players from the 2nd XV.

The injury crisis at Hessle put the home team under pressure before the start of the game with Chris Watkins, Carl Dixon, Craig Poucher, Matt Donkin, and numerous others unavailable.

Nevertheless, it was Hullensians who were under pressure immediately after kick off as the home team settled well and found the conditions to their liking; snuffing out the usual threats of the Hullensians attack.

The game proved to be an arm wrestle for field position and there were no scores until the 31st minute when Hullensians were awarded a kickable penalty which made it 3-0 to the visitors. A minute later, after some back chat to the official from Hessle, Hullensians again took their chance and their lead was stretched to 6-0.

As the game moved to half time some constant pressure earned Hessle a penalty and Ashley Hedges slotted it over to make the half time score Hessle 3, Hullensians 6

As the second half got under way there was tension in the typically noisy derby crowd. Hullensians have had the upper hand recently and the crowd seemed to sense that there could be a shock on the cards.

This was confirmed when Hullensians lost the ball after the kick off and it was quickly recycled to the Hessle backs for Olly Spicer to pop into the line from full back and score in the corner. Ashley Hedges was once again successful with the boot, converting from out wide to make the score 10-6 to Hessle.

This seemed to rattle the visitors and, on 50 minutes, they conceded a penalty for handling in the ruck and once again Hedges was accurate with the boot to make the score 13-6 to the home team

This then cranked up the tension and, with the game there for the taking, the rest of the half passed in slow motion for the home supporters.

Hullensians then (as a team at the top of the table usually does) seemed to get the rub of the green and converted penalties on 55 and 56 minutes to cut Hessle's lead to a single point at 13-12.

With any mistake meaning the game could slip away, both teams proved to be nervous. On 62 mins with Hessle pressing, Hullensians came in from the side at a ruck to concede a penalty. Once more Ashley Hedges stepped up and the home team edged a bit further in front; 16-12.

This set up a very tense last 15 minutes with both teams playing some superb rugby. Hullensians were pushing all the time and, with a penalty awarded, went for field position to attempt to clinch a try.

As the sky darkened and after a constant barrage on the Hessle line, the ball was shipped out with numbers that proved too much for the valiant home team. The visitors had taken 79 minutes to score a try but it proved to be the match winning score. The conversion made it 16-19 and Hullensians came away with a victory that will take them back to the top of the table. Hessle remain in the relegation zone but, with displays like this, it will not be long before the corner is turned and they start climbing the table

September 2009

05/09/2009 Knottingley 27 - Hessle 14

HESSLE began Yorkshire Division Two life with a 27-14 defeat at Knottingley.

They trailed 20-0 at half-time, but can take heart from an encouraging display in the second period when they scored two tries to the hosts' one.

Playing with the advantage of a strong wind, it did not take long for Knottingley to score their first try.

Hessle failed to cover the kick-off, which immediately put the visitors under pressure in their own 22.

The ball was moved out wide to Wilson on the left-wing.

He cut inside and linked with the prop who slipped a pass to Turton to touch down near the posts for Rockett to convert.

Knottingley's backs looked threatening with a number of well-constructed moves.

Hessle failed to find touch with a clearance kick, and following a chip ahead the ball bounced perfectly for Rowlandson to race over for the second try which Rockett converted.

The visitors were penalised for holding on, and Rockett was on target with the goal to make it 17-0 after 10 minutes.

Hessle found the going tough against the wind and some strong tackling, although Ollie Spicer put in a good run down the middle after Matt Donkin had made valuable ground.

Knottingley came close again but Craig Poucher brought off a brilliant try-saving tackle, and a break on the outside from John Woolard gave Hessle their first attacking position.

The hosts put Hessle under further pressure, but were denied by some spirited defence with Chris Tranmer showing up well in his first game in the back-row.

Hessle were caught offside in the 33rd minute and Rockett landed his second penalty.

Knottingley extended their lead in the second half.

A sweeping move on the right saw the winger's cross-kick fumbled by the Hessle defence, and although there appeared to be a knock-on, Rockett was on hand to go over for a try under the posts which he converted to make it 27-0.

Rockett was wide with a penalty attempt in the 58th minute, but following this most of the play was in the home half.

Hessle found it difficult to penetrate the hosts' defence, but they never gave up and they were eventually rewarded when a delicate kick over the top was pounced up on by Spicer for a well-taken try, which Ashley Hedges converted with a fine kick from wide out.

Further pressure paid off when, in the last minute, Adam Atkinson secured possession to power his way over for a try in the right-hand corner, which Hedges again goaled.

12/09/09 Hessle 3 - North Ribblesdale 16

HESSLE went down to a second successive Yorkshire League Two defeat with a 16-3 reverse against North Ribblesdale at Livingstone Road. Surprisingly, considering the hot weather, the game developed into a battle between the two packs with the backs seeing very little of the ball and open rugby was at a premium.

The hosts had Carl Dixon back at stand-off, but were missing the services of full-back Craig Poucher and prop Ally Ross from last week.

Hessle made an encouraging start with a fine three-quarter move which saw left-winger Ollie Spicer sprint 40 yards before being stopped in the Ribblesdale 22.

From this position the visitors were penalised at a ruck and Dixon was on target with the kick at goal.

Ribblesdale were next on the attack but a kick ahead had too much weight on it, and the ball ran dead.

Josh Moore was sin-binned for handling the ball in an offside position, but Hessle returned to the attack and Matt Donkin came close to scoring after dummying his way into a promising position with a strong burst.

Just when it looked as though Hessle would be going into the second-half with a 3-0 lead, a pass was intercepted by the visitors and when the ball was moved out wide Stephen Moon accelerated away from the cover to go over for a try, which he also converted with a fine kick from near the touchline.

Twelve minutes into the second period, Hessle were penalised and Moon kicked the goal from 35 yards out.

Hessle found it difficult to make progress against some stern tackling, and in the 61st minute the hosts were penalised for not releasing and Moon was on target again to make it 13-3.

Hessle looked the more likely side to score a try, but after Ashley Hedges had made a break on the right to set up a good position his pass was a wayward one and the chance went begging. Jimmy Harrison raced 40 yards up the left-wing but was unable to follow up his kick ahead after stumbling.

It was Ribblesdale who wrapped the game up in the 78th minute when Moon landed his third penalty goal.

19/09/2009 Leodensians 27 - Hessle 20

DEPLETED Hessle put up a valiant fight before going down 27-20 at Leodiensians.

It was the hosts' purple patch during a 10-minute first-half which proved decisive.

Hessle started well and put Leos under pressure, taking the lead with a drop goal from Carl Dixon after 10 minutes.

The home side replied with a penalty and then hit Hessle with three tries in a frantic 10-minute period for a 22-3 lead.

In the second-half , good Hessle field positions saw Adam Atkinson powered over for a try, which was unconverted.

The next 20 minutes saw play swing from end to end, and Hessle reduced the gap when Dixon snapped up a loose ball, sold a dummy and raced over under the posts for a try which he also converted.

Leos scored next with a try against the run of play to make it 27-15.

The visitors applied the pressure in the last 10 minutes with Stuart Louth and Atkinson both being held up over the line.

Eventually, the never-say-die attitude was rewarded when, from a threequarter move, Matt Donkin kicked over the top of the defence and Jimmy Harrison followed up to gather the ball and go over for a well-taken try to make the final score 27-20.

26/09/2009 Hessle 12 - Huddersfield YMCA 46

HESSLE were beaten 46-12 by a faster and superior Huddersfield YMCA in ideal conditions at Livingstone Road after trailing 7-34 at half-time.

The hosts were dominant after the break and produced a better second-half display but could not turn their territorial advantage into points, although they were rewarded for their persistence with a late try.

Huddersfield opened the scoring with a penalty goal, then after ten minutes Mike Ayers crashed over for a try for Hessle which Carl Dixon converted.

The visitors added a further penalty, and then put together a length-of-the-field move to go over for a try, which was converted.

In the 26th minute the visitors pounced to score a second try, which was goaled to make it 7-20.

Another kick and chase produced another touchdown, and in the last minute of the first-half Huddersfield crossed again following some close forward play on the left, both tries were converted.

Huddersfield scored a push-over try in the fourth minute of the second period, and added another two minutes later to take the score to 7-46.

Hessle were awarded their first penalty of the game in the 55th minute and after this they proceeded to enjoy their best spell of the game.

But it took until the 72nd minute for Hessle to put together their best move of the match which was finished off in style by Ben Parker, who galloped 40 yards for an excellent try.