Alnwick 34 West 19

By Dave Picken - February 23 2014
Alnwick 34 West 19
Our hopes of a play off place were dealt a hammer blow by this deserved defeat and Huddersfield YMCA's unexpected victory at Cleckheaton ..

We were without a handful of players who would have started if the game had been able to played last week, but the players who came in were among the better players on show for us.

Sadly, our first up tackling and set pieces fell below their usual standard, and Alwnick were a far better side than the one we faced earlier in the season and will be a force to be reckoned with next time around - specially at Greensfield Avenue.

The game’s pattern was set as early as the second minute when Alnwick winger Andrew Shell burst up the left wing. He evaded two tackles before Luke Mallinson brought him down on the line only for his momentum to carry him over.

With the strong wind behind us we came back and pressure on the home line eventually resulted in a gap for Stu Waites. He jinked his way over to set himself up with an easy conversion.

Alnwick came back with strong runs from lively scrum half Peter Moralee and fly half James Warcup but desperate defence kept them out.

Such was the strength of the wind that Stu Waites tried a 50 metre drop goal, which was just short , followed later in the half by an audacious penalty attempt from 60 metres which was wide.

The visitors knew they needed to rack up some points in the first half and Adam Coates almost went over when he made a break up the left after 23 minutes.

He wasn’t to be denied ten minutes later when wet scored the try of the game. Full back Mallinson overlapped on the left and opted to cut inside with just the last man to clear.

He was brought down, but the ball was quickly sent out to the right where Peter Youll almost broke through. However, the West support was there and when the ball went left Alex Barker popped up a delightful inside ball to send Adam Coates into space and he sidestepped full back Bird to go over.

Waites converted and at 14-5 it looked like  we were gradually getting our game together.

And we could have gone into the break in an even better position, however an excellent break down the right by 17 year old Kyle Jamieson was thwarted when his kick ahead took a bad bounce and he knocked on with the line at his mercy.

Any hopes we had of maintaining ther lead were literally brushed aside from the restart.

Alnwick full back James Bird collected just outside his own 22 and burst through the West defence and looked like going all the way until he was tripped just outside our 22. Referee John Kirk award a penalty and we were lucky to escape without a card being shown.

The home side opted for a line out in the corner and their dominant forwards drove over with back row James Hamilton touching down.

Bird converted to put the home side just two points behind, and they didn’t waste much time in taking the lead with fly half Warcup burst through the West defence.

There were claims that he’d dropped the ball over the line, but the try was awarded and Alnwick went into a 19-14 lead. They increased it five minutes later when Shell outpaced the cover to go in at the corner.

We finally got some ball and were unlucky when Ian Pinchen sent Alex Barker racing away. Unfortunately, the ball had hit the referee en route and play was brought back.

Alnwick kept plugging away and were rewarded with a bit of luck on 70 minutes when a kick to the corner looked to be covered by Luke Mallinson and Andrew Rollins. Sadly for West the ball broke kindly for replacement Angus Todd who had the simplest of tasks in touching down with Bird adding an excellent touchline conversion.

Our hopes of salvaging at least a bonus point were revived with seven minutes left when Waites intercepted deep in his half and raced diagonally for the left corner to outpace the home defence to make it 31-19.

Alnwick:  James Bird,  Andrew Shell [c], Sean Hutchinson, Frank Hutchinson, Graham Potts, James Warcup, Peter Moralee, Peter Brown, Harry Sordy, Robert Elliott, Oli Sutherland, Adam Alexander, Gordon Smith, James Hamilton, Ben Gothrorp,

Replacements [all used]: Ben Boothman, Matthew Gray, Angus Todd.

Tries: Shell [2], Hamilton, Warcup, Todd.

Cons: Bird [3]

Pens [Bird [1]

West:  Luke Mallinson, Kyle Jamieson,  Andrew Cheslin, Liam Bailey, Peter Youll,  Stu Waites, Ryan Painter, Ian Pinchen,  Andrew Rollins, Adam Coates,  Michael Hogan, Andrew Robson, Alex Barker,  Jon Boatman [c],  , Sam Miller.

Reps [all used]: Andrew Dixon, Davy Tighe, Joe Myers

Tries: Waites [2], Coates.

Cons: Waites [2]

 

Referee: John Kirk [Northumberland]

 

 

 
Alnwick 34 West 19
Posted by: Official West Hartlepool RFC (IP Logged)
Date: 23/02/2014 11:51


Re: Alnwick 34 West 19
Posted by: crazy craig (IP Logged)
Date: 23/02/2014 16:58

How did the stags get on

Re: Alnwick 34 West 19
Posted by: Dave Picken (IP Logged)
Date: 23/02/2014 21:08

No game

Re: Alnwick 34 West 19
Posted by: West Park Allotment (IP Logged)
Date: 24/02/2014 11:40

Two home games coming up so we need to get back on track specially as we have slipped down to 4th.

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