Redcar took to the pitch almost certainly relegated but playing for pride and desperately wanting to avenge the humiliation suffered over at the Friaridge last December in a game that in my book spelt the beginning of our season’s demise.  We turned up that day expecting to walk over our opponents, who had recently recruited a couple of local lads who ran riot and took us to the cleaners.  Up until then the majority of our games had been close and we had competed.  Once you are on the receiving end of a hammering two things happen.  First you are waiting for the next one and second, the other club’s coaches look at our fixture in a different light and instead of giving you some respect they have their lads taking the field with the view that if Rovers can do them then so will we!!!  Our season turned to carp. 

What was pleasing today was that the lads put in a huge game and but for the decision of “crossing”, immediately after half-time when the referee disallowed a try I think that we would have walked away with the game.  Having come from a twelve point deficit to turn around, nineteen v seventeen in front took some doing against this class opposition.  Try’s from Jamie, Paul Beal and finally Fabian plus a couple of conversions from Kieron McMahon had put us in this position. The wake-up call came after Rover’s had scored try’s via their own Gareth Foreman and centre Simon Rutherford.  Once Foreman had converted his centre’s try Kieron’s restart took us up-field, Rovers were penalised for “excessive” rucking and once we had secured the ball from the resulting penalty / line-out the lads put together four phases of aggressive attack which stretched Rovers defence until the ball was passed out to Jamie on the left wing to round his opponent and score.  Rovers extended their lead momentarily when we were penalised at a ruck.  Foreman put the ball into the corner, Rovers moved the ball quickly and Wallis scored.  Fabian had already indicated that he was up for this game when he made a break out of defence before putting in a cross field kick which Matty Hemmingway raced to collect and take on, now giving that this attack had started way back in our 22 you would not have expected a loose head prop to be up in support, but there was Paul Beal to gather Matty’s lay off and score to the left of the posts. 

 Kieron chipped in with the extras.  Having got in the way of our attack the referee awarded Redcar a scrummage from which Neil Cook picked up the ball and exported to Matty, nine fed ten and Kieron broke right until Fabian joined the line at pace and with true French flair danced around his opposing full-back to score under the posts.  In this mood, Fabian certainly can, can can!  Once again Kieron was up for the kick.  There we were in the lead as the referee called half. 

Half-time  Redcar  19 v 17  Rovers 

We started the second half on fire, having had the ball held up over their line and then the unfortunate crossing decision went against us.  Disappointingly these couple of decisions led to back chat from a couple of our players and not surprisingly the 50 / 50 decisions started to go in the opposite direction until finally the referee had had enough and sent Cooky to the bin to calm down.  It’s a pity that it wasn’t only a commercial!  During this cooling down period Rovers regained the initiative with try’s from fullback Brian Foreman and hooker Jon Nichols. 

One pleasing aspect of the game was the way our pack had dominated the scrummages, even when a man down we were able to exert enough pressure on our opposition to force them to wheel far enough for the ref to reset the scrum in our favour.  Once Neil had returned to the field this tract continued, their pack was almost in submission.  The ever improving Chris “Split” Palmer was substituted to give Danny Best a run out at hooker and it probably made his season to be involved in a huge scrum which kept on pushing Rovers pack backwards until Ritchie Barker claimed the touchdown.  Chris will probably and deservedly claim that he had drained his opposite number but Danny will get plenty of mileage in the future out of it.  “And then from my first scrum, I was able to drive them back single handedly etc. etc.”  We all know what hookers can be like! 

Anyway, the clock ticked away, and so did our reign in North 2 East.  We have had our moments and given some of the best a hard time, Halifax, Darlington, Bradford & Bingley, Cleckheaton etc., have all had their feathers ruffled up here at Mackinlay Park, and then gone up through the leagues to higher things. 

The demotion to Durham & Northumberland 1 is no bad thing, it will give us chance to renew old acquaintances with the likes of Consett, Durham, Ponteland, and TDSOB, and (incidentally does anyone know who their coach will be next season)?  Whilst at the same time giving our younger players time to gain confidence and grow in stature.  This is the time for our “older” players, not to hang up their boots but put in a big season for the benefit of our youngsters and lead them into the new league and let them know what it feels like to be up there fighting for promotion as the next season draws to a close. Let’s take this opportunity to rebuild “Fortress Mackinlay”. 

I hope that we will get a good turn out at the players dinner to congratulate Steve Cook and his band of helpers who have given their best throughout a very difficult season, it’s not an easy job being the Chairman of Rugby, we do now have some structure and but for a couple of mistakes on the field we could have been definitely mid-table.  It would be a shame to loose this youthful, dynamic leadership.