The game didn’t lack try scoring chances and Pocklington will doubtless return home kicking themselves that they didn’t travel south with more than a solitary losing bonus point. With the benefit of a diagonal wind they dominated the second half - were held up over the line four times and forced out at the corner flag as they hunted a game-winning try.
We had defended manfully for the lion’s share of 35 second half minutes but it looked like the visitors had snatched the win when scrum half Ben Reece jinked through a crowd of bodies to score and level the game at 10 points all. The conversion seemed a formality but it was skewed well wide and left us with a chance. A penalty opportunity came seconds after the restart and Waites stepped up to slot through the posts, giving us back the lead and ultimately the victory.
The first half was a very even contest with Pocklington enjoying most of the early possession but it was Waites who had the first two opportunities for points however both long range penalties slid wide.
We almost had the first try when a miscued clearance kick from the in-goal area fell toward Liam Bailey but he couldn’t control it and knocked-on. Moments later Adam Coates charged clear up the left touchline and got the ball down by the corner flag only to be adjudged to have put a foot in touch a couple of metres short.
Finally the opening score came on 28 minutes with a Waites penalty from closer range but it was Pocklington who replied immediately with the first try. Their rolling maul looked a useful weapon and after they advanced from the halfway line to inside the 22 a neat break down the short side brought a simple finish for winger Tim Nixon.
We had another great chance with a two on one on the right after a good break from Waites but his pass was just in-front of Scott Butcher and out of the right-wing’s reach. He made amends on the stroke of half-time though, capitalising on a mix-up in the Pocklington midfield, collecting a deflected pass and racing in under the posts. He added the conversion himself and almost made a full house just before the whistle when his drop goal attempt was tipped and struck the cross-bar.
The second-half belonged to the visitors, from an attacking point of view at least. Our defence should take enormous credit for hanging on as Pocklington saw numerous chances disintegrate. They turned down several kickable penalties in favour of the catch and drive but time and again it was disrupted or held up over the line. A cross-field kick looked to have brought the breakthrough but a superb cover tackle from Waites denied them once more. Number-eight Marcus Britland thought he’d scored after a quickly taken free-kick but referee Adam Carpenter ruled a knock-on.
When Reece capitalised on messy line-out ball to weave his way through the defenders it looked like his side’s efforts had finally been rewarded but the missed conversion seemed to lift our spirits and dampen the visitor’s enthusiasm. Waites kick moments after the resumption was followed by Pocklington’s restart not going ten metres and that summed up a remarkable end to an entertaining game.
West: C Cheslin, Butcher, A Cheslin, Bailey, Youll, Waites, Painter, Pichen, Dixon, Coates, Hogan, Bennett, Barker, J Boatman, Miller.
Reps: D Boatman, Angus, Mallinson
Try: Waites
Con: Waites
Pen: Waites
Pocklington: Allen, Hardy, J Britland, Holbrough, Nixon, Massie, Reece, Webber, Birch, Helme, Peters, Wilson, Durkin, Brown, M Britland.
Reps: Elliott, Kelly, Stephenson
Tries: Nixon, Reece
Referee: Adam Carpenter [West Midlands]