Tech took a giant step towards maintaining their Durham & Northumberland 1 status with a tense victory over old friends Ryton in what was a peculiar match to say the least.

Normally you might have expected such a victory to be the main talking point after the match with the home supporters and players filled with joy. But everyone was preoccupied with the fact that three minutes into injury time at the end of the match a mass brawl erupted and culminated in the dismissal of Tech players Stephen Stockdale and Kevin Cook who had already spent ten minutes in the cooler for reckless use of the boot and Ryton centre Michael Jackson. If a lack of red had been surprising in Tech’s league game at York then their was a copious amount here, not only in the form of cards but in Tech’s alternate jerseys too!

Whilst no one really argued with the decision to send the players off as such, a lot of the discussion was about the fact that referee Graham Hodges chose to send off three players following the melee. Tech skipper Steve Jones also commented on this,

“He’s sent the lads of for throwing punches but if he’s sent Stephen and their lad (Jackson) off for fighting with each other then who was Kevin fighting with? It all seems rather confusing”.

Confusing maybe but the actions taken make Tech’s victory all the more crucial. All three teams beneath the Hartlepool club lost meaning that Tech now have a six-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone. The odds on Tech surviving are probably very good now but to make absolutely certain Tech may require at least one more victory. Cook and Stockdale are two crucial players for the Grayfields outfit. Hopefully with the gap between Tech and the drop zone at six points, their pending suspensions will not yield more serious consequences for the club.

But, with the tempestuous end to match aside Tech could look back on a job well done. Indeed, the final score should have been far more emphatic as Tech dominated large periods of the game only the inability to convert pressure into points and some good Ryton defence stopping a final score of 13-6 being slightly more lopsided.

It was another excellent performance from the pack that allowed Tech to make good yardage into the Ryton half from pretty much the first play of the game. The sharp winds that were sweeping Grayfields made handling tough though and more often than not, an enterprising move would break down because of a dropped or missed pass, blown of course by the gale. It seemed that the home team would be the first to score the way things were going but it was in fact the visitors who notched up the games first points when on a rare visit to the Tech half they were awarded a penalty at a ruck just inside the home 22. Fly half Steven Fudge kicked an excellent penalty given the blustery conditions and it was three nil to Ryton.

For the next half an hour, Ryton barely got out of their own half as Tech battered away at their defences. Sadly for the home team no points came from the raids. Too often Tech tried to force their way over the line by using the crash ball. With Ryton’s defenders drawn in to counter this, spinning the ball wide may have yielded a try but no such tactics were forthcoming and Ryton held on.

Then on what seemed like only their second visit to the Tech half, the visitors doubled their lead when the home team infringed at another ruck. In similar fashion to his first attempt, Fudge blasted the kick emphatically between the sticks, making splendid allowance for the wind too.

If Tech felt aggrieved at the fact that 6-0 to Ryton did not paint a fair reflection of the first half then they reacted to it in the perfect fashion. Carrying on from their good work in the first half Tech again forced their way into the Ryton half through some good forward play. The ball was then passed to Simon Cavey who broke away from the initial tackler and chipped ahead. Ryton winger Gerry Smith had no option but to kick the ball into touch with Tech’s flying centre bearing down on him. From the lineout Tech secured good possession and the ball then found its way back to Cavey who sidestepped his first man and powered over in the corner.

The score seemed to wake Ryton up slightly and they then enjoyed their first spell of sustained pressure in the Tech half. But with the home team now very much involved in the game they defended well and were finally able to clear downfield. Parker missed an opportunity to put Tech ahead when he pulled a kick wide on 53 minutes but seven minutes later the hosts demonstrated the power they possess in the forwards with a super try. Ryton were penalised in their own 22 and Tech opted for the catch and drive. The line-which worked very well for most of the afternoon- was comfortably caught and despite Ryton’s best efforts to repel the attack, the maul rumbled towards the line and prop Andrew Thompson finished off the move with a simple touchdown.

A nervy final 12 minutes ensued however when Cook was sent to the bin, this lifting Ryton slightly and on 73 minutes Jackson, who would later be sent off, wasted a marvellous opportunity when he failed to utilise a clear overlap only meters from the Tech line. But Tech remained calm and following Cook’s return 2 minutes into injury time Parker nailed a penalty to put Tech a converted try clear at 13-6. The game then reached its stormy conclusion.

Tech 13

Tries: Cavey (45), Thompson (60)

Penalty: A Parker (82)

Ryton 6

Pens: Fudge (6, 37)

Tech

Masshedar, Brown, Cavey, Corrigan, Jones (c), A Parker, C Williamson, Thompson, Dixon, Palmer, Jukes, Howard (Vincent), Cook, Smart, Stockdale, Subs not used: Robson, M Parker

Scrums 15, Scrums won on own put in 15, Scrums lost on own put in 0, Pens awarded 13, Kicked at goal 3 (2 misses), Kicked for touch 6, Ran 3, Lineouts won on own throw 8, Lineouts lost on own throw 2

Sin Bin: Cook (70)

Sent off: Cook (83), Stockdale (83)

Ryton

Cuthbertson, Smith, Jackson, Simpson, Moore, Fudge, A Williamson, Marshall, Nicholson, Oxley, Parkinson, McKie, Cork (Hardy), Kirtley, Scott (c), Subs not used: Watson, Elliot

Scrums 10, Scrums won on own put in 6, Scrums lost on own put in 4 (0 against head), Pens awarded 16, Kicked at goal 2, Kicked for touch 7, Ran 5, Lineouts won on own throw 7, Lineouts lost on own throw 5

Sent off: Jackson (83)

Referee: Graham Hodges (Liverpool)